Centerville Junior High has a new leader who’s already stationed in the combined junior and senior high building.
Jason Talbot will now be in charge of the school that serves grades seven and eight. He has been assistant principal for Centerville Senior High School.
Tiffani Thornburg, former CJHS principal, requested to return to teaching in the district.
Centerville-Abington Community Schools’ board approved Talbot for the role during its July 9 meeting.
Talbot, a 2002 Richmond High School graduate, previously taught fifth grade at Centerville-Abington Elementary School.
Finances
School officials are preparing for more financial challenges based on expected impacts of new state legislation.
Municipal adviser Baker Tilly projects CACS will lose between $195,000 to $365,000 annually because of changes the Indiana General Assembly made to property tax homestead credits, allowing some homeowners to take a larger tax deduction through 2031.
Additional funding decreases related to the maximum levy growth quotient affecting net assessed value could be $96,814 in 2026, $136,481 in 2027 and $176,723 in 2028.
The Republican-controlled state legislature also decided that beginning in 2028, schools will no longer receive local income tax funds, which would be another $120,633 loss, based on 2025 numbers. Other governmental units still can receive local income taxes.
“None of this is good,” said Superintendent Mike McCoy.
The corporation and board members will have to think differently about how they cover costs, McCoy said, noting he and Assistant Superintendent Sean Stevenson are looking at areas where they can cut costs and watch expenses more closely.
A few new upcoming expenses loom, including elementary roofs and vehicles with mechanical issues, in addition to payments for recent projects such as construction of the Centerville-Abington Elementary addition and transportation center and demolition of the unsafe annex building.
Communities in Schools
CACS is planning to have a site coordinator at Rose Hamilton and Centerville-Abington Elementary schools, where the need is highest.
McCoy said CIS can also connect junior and senior high students with clothing, food and other items, but school homeroom teachers and counselors, along with local mental health services, will serve older students as needed. A memorandum of understanding will come to the board for consideration.
Policies
The board conducted a first reading on several policies, many of which need updates because of law changes. Topics include nondiscrimination and anti-harassment, board authority and philosophy, board organization, student attendance, academic achievement, anti-bullying, parental access to instructional material, student suicide prevention, purchasing procedures, off-site religious instruction time, the standard of care in student supervision, data protection, school visitors, and parents’ recording of meetings with school employees.
One policy addresses board pay. Indiana lawmakers decided this year to allow board members to be paid up to 10% of their district’s lowest teaching salary. Board members indicated it was best to keep their pay the same at least until January, when the board reorganizes and elects new officers annually.
Personnel
- Departure: Debbie Cox, preschool teacher
- Transfer: Kaitlyn Bode-McDonald, from CSHS cafe staff to CSHS special ed aide
A version of this article appeared in the July 16 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.