Culver Community School Interim Superintendent Attends Last Board Meeting

Chuck Kitchell

Culver Community School Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell attended his last school board meeting Monday night.

Kitchell served the corporation in several different capacities from teacher to coach and from assistant principal to interim superintendent. He ended the school board meeting with just a few words.

“I’d like to thank the board members for your courage and your support especially for the last year-and-a-half ,” said Kitchell. “More importantly I’d like to thank the administration, the staff and the community for allowing to work with the students of this community for 28 years. That was never my plan when I came to town (laughs). Exactly 31 years ago I was a basketball coach at the time and I was going to coach three or four years and then I was moving on. As so many of you know, something happens when you come to Culver. You have a tendency to want to stay here.”

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Culver Community School Board Approves Cafeteria Prices

Prices for lunch will increase for all schools next year at the Culver Community School Corporation.

Food Services Director Carin Clifton said the lunch price variables were put into a calculator as part of the Indiana Department of Education paid equity requirements. It was determined this year that the price will go up another 10 cents. The statistic is based on students who are not on free and reduced lunch.

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Culver School Board Receives Update on Stellar Communities Project

Culver Town Manager Jonathan Leist presented an update on the Stellar Communities application to the Culver Community School Board that involves school grounds.

Improvements on a field behind the corporation office and improvements at the baseball fields are included in this year’s application. Leist said site control and which entity would be in charge of funding was brought up in last year’s process. Leist said he thinks he has found a solution and brought the idea to Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell.

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New Superintendent Named for Culver Schools

Karen Shuman signs her contract as the new superintendent of the Culver Community School Corporation

The Culver Community School Corporation has a new superintendent. The school board members last night unanimously approved the new superintendent’s contract during their meeting.

Karen Shuman was one of 15 applicants for the superintendent’s position being vacated by Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell who is retiring on June 30. Board member Jack Jones spoke on behalf of the superintendent search committee who said the selection took about three months to complete as there is a lot to the process. Jones thanked all involved for their time and effort.

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Culver School Board to Approve Superintendent’s Contract

The Culver Community School Board members are expected to approve the new superintendent’s contract when they meet tonight.

The board held a public hearing on the proposed superintendent’s contact on April 17 where no comments were heard. The annual salary of $105,000 was proposed along with insurance and benefits. The contract is valid from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020.

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Culver School Board Approves Bid for Pole Barn Extension

Culver School Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell presented the Culver Community School Board with a quote for a proposed expansion project at the pole barn north of the bus garage.

Kitchell said that he sent out five proposals to companies and only two quotes were returned.

The extension will allow for more storage, especially for equipment acquired from the former Monterey Elementary School building.

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Culver School Board to Consider Purchasing Corporation Vehicle

The Culver Community School Board will consider the purchase of a vehicle for use by members of the administration and faculty when going to training or conferences.

Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell said that some teachers won’t go to some conferences because the corporation does not reimburse for mileage. He also noted that he’s put on a lot of miles on his personal vehicle going to required meetings and conferences and it would be more convenient to have a vehicle for corporation use.

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Culver School Board Receives Update on Funding

The Culver Community School Board received an update on the funding projection for the next school year. Corporation Treasurer Casey Howard said Monday night that solid numbers are elusive as figures constantly change from information given by the state.

Howard said that the corporation will see a reduction in grants and the February ADM count will cause a reduction in funding.

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Culver School Board Holds Public Hearing on New Superintendent Contract

The Culver Community School Board opened the floor to members of the public to voice opinions on the proposed contract for a new superintendent.

The three-year contract begins in July of this year and ends June 30, 2020 with a salary of $105,000 during the school year which encompasses 260 days. According to the contract, “the board will pay for a family plan of the medical and prescription insurance, family plan of the dental and vision insurance, long term disability insurance and $100,000 term life insurance” for the duration of the contract. The superintendent will pay $4.00 toward the cost. No insurance or retirement benefits will be given once the superintendent retires.

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Culver School Board Moves Forward in Superintendent Search

The Culver Community School Board is moving ahead with finding another superintendent.

Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell is leaving the corporation and entering retirement on June 30. He has been with the Culver Community School Corporation for 28 years in various roles: teaching, coach, assistant principal, principal, and director of operations. Kitchell assumed the interim superintendent’s position at the end of December 2015 when then-superintendent Vicki McGuire resigned to fill a similar position at a different school corporation.

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