CENTERBURG — A number of individuals attended Monday evening’s meeting of the Centerburg Board of Education. The board gave everyone who wanted to speak an opportunity to do so, and approximately 11 spoke to the board regarding the investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct by Sean Sweeney, a teacher currently on administrative leave.
Belinda Pinkerton was one of those individuals. She told the News on Tuesday why she was at the meeting.
“I said he had coached all three of my girls in track and cross country, for about 10 years all together. He got my one daughters to state three years in cross country and a year in track. Her twin sister spent a year with the team. I trusted him with my kids then and if I had to do it again, I would trust him with my kids again.”
Terrie Lewis also addressed the board. She said she wanted the board to adopt a policy about documenting parent complaints, concerns and compliments. Referring to the Sweeney situation, Lewis said the board needs to base their decision on the facts that have been presented, on every bit of information that has come in.
“It’s an uncomfortable situation all around,” she said, “but the school has to do the right thing.”
The board will hold a special meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. to further consider the matter. It will recess into executive session, and action may be taken after the executive session.
Calls to Sweeney for comment have been unreturned.
Regarding personnel, the board created a new head of maintenance, custodial and grounds job description and created a job description for the assistant head of maintenance, custodial and grounds.
Mike Kuhn and Mike Lunder were subsequently hired to fill the respective positions. Kuhn’s salary will be about $37,000 and Lunder’s approximately $34,000. The board also employed Mark Lewis as a custodian with a salary of $24,000 annually; granted a six-week family medical leave of absence to Tami Smoke; added to the classified substitute list; approved a list of cafeteria volunteers; and accepted two students as part-time school employees as part of the Senior Co-op program.
In addition to approving routine fiscal actions, the board accepted the following donations for Frisbee Golf: $200 each from Mohican Sports Medicine, Automotive Consultants, Pizzaburg, class of ’59, class of ’62, First-Knox National Bank and Fuller Oil Co. Apple Valley Locksmith donated $50 for Frisbee golf, and the class of ’62 gave $95 to the Alumni Scholarship Fund. The elementary cafeteria fund received $150 from the Jacqueline Cordle Children’s Fund.
The board voted to pay the Athletic Booster Club for the Aug. 1 through Oct. 31 water, gas and electric bills for the booster building at 175 Union St. It also entered into purchase of service agreements with the Freedom Center, Tri-County Educational Service Center, Interim Healthcare, Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio and approved several transportation agreements.
Other items approved by the board included Knox County Career Center Teacher Academy field experience placements for Ashley Burton with Barbara Day, Ronnie Ross with Carrie Swendal and Kayla Peck with Diane Beck. Field observations and experiences were also approved for Teresa Kramer in middle school social studies and Cassandra Burns with Nathan Altizer.
The board also approved an FFA field trip to the national convention in Indianapolis in October and the FCCLA field trip to Heartland Retreat, also in October. The board ratified the 2010-11 Athletic Participation Handbook and accepted a list of students for participation in the post-secondary options programs for the 2010-11 school year.
Prior to adjournment, the board went into executive session to discuss the Sweeney investigation. No further action was taken.