Annex demolition begins; playground getting fence

While one school building is being torn down for safety reasons, another soon will add a safety feature.

At their March 12 meeting, Centerville-Abington Community Schools Superintendent Mike McCoy told board members that crews are working quickly to demolish the former annex across from Centerville-Abington Elementary. It previously served as a junior high. Demolition began March 10.

The former administration office, which is a home just east of the current administration building, will be taken down during the district’s spring break.

Meanwhile, a new fence will soon be added at Rose Hamilton Elementary, which serves the district’s youngest students.

Potential benefits of a fence became more apparent after a September 2024 incident when a 7-year-old student briefly left Rose Hamilton’s playground and explored a nearby home before returning. The student was uninjured.

Although McCoy said that the escape was a first in his 17 years of working for CACS, employees began taking multiple steps to prevent similar incidents.

CACS evaluated three quotes for installing fence at RH’s playground. Workers would fix the double gate, add one gate and add a fence around the playground’s perimeter to enclose it. The board approved the lowest quote, for $10,500, from Oler’s Fence.

More business

• Legislation: McCoy asked board members to monitor Indiana General Assembly’s bills affecting budgets. He’s worried about funding changes being proposed for career/technical education that’d be a huge hit to CACS’ budget and affect a lot of classes, he said.

Member Todd Dooley’s watching Senate Bill 287. Although school board candidates might not have to run in the primary as originally proposed, they’d still have to declare a political party.

• Enrollment: Kindergarten Roundup continues through March 28 at Rose Hamilton Elementary. Families looking to enroll kindergarten students for the fall should call 765-966-3911. CACS’ student transfer application for the 2025-26 school year was approved.
• Summer: The board approved the CARES child care program schedule and staff positions for consideration. Pay rates were updated because of the 2% raise given to noncertified employees in January.
• Safety: Indiana State Police’ annual school bus inspections began last week. Repairs were required for a couple spare buses. CACS’ new activity bus is scheduled for delivery in the next month.
• Internships: Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce will reach out to businesses, inviting representatives to an April meeting with public schools to start discussing internship changes involved in Indiana’s new high school diploma.

Employment

• Departure: Hailey Houghton, RH special education aide
• Hire: Amy Sheard, RH elementary music co-sponsor
• Pending hire: Wade Lambright, CSHS reserve baseball
• Transfer: Tabitha Slifer, from substitute to CSHS Bulldog Opportunity Academy; Tammy Hollingsworth, from special ed aide to Life Skills aide
• High school sports assistant rehires: Track: Austin Vandevender (boys), John Lickfelt (girls). Softball: Tyler Lairson, Jason Martintoni (reserve). Baseball: Jeremy Blake.
• Volunteer assistants: Track: Courtney Matthews. Baseball: Kendrick Villanueva and Nick Carrizales. Girls tennis: Susie Ecker. Softball: Brianna Shepherd and Max Hobson. Boys golf: Braden Tedder.