Madison Messenger - April 19th, 2020

www.madisonmessengernews.com April 19, 2020 - MADISON MESSENGER - Page 3
Hoping to preserve commencement tradition
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
High school seniors are missing out on a lot this year with
schools closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One
rite of passage Jonathan Alder administrators hope to preserve is
commencement.
“Our goal is to have a traditional commencement ceremony,” said
Superintendent Gary Chapman during the school board’s April 13
meeting, held online using Facebook Live.
Whether the district achieves that goal or a variation of it depends
on what state leaders decide in the coming weeks. Currently,
Governor Mike DeWine has a stay-at-home order in place through
May 1. To give families time to plan, Jonathan Alder leaders hope
to make a decision about commencement shortly after May 1.
Shifting focus to
cutting ditches
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
In anticipation of a $1.5 million drop in revenue this year, the
Madison County Engineer’s Office is looking at ways to cut costs.
Fewer cars are on the roads due to stay-at-home orders associated
with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result, the
state’s gas tax revenues are taking a hit. Those revenues are a
major source of funding for county engineer’s offices in Ohio.
Madison County Engineer Bryan Dhume predicts his department
will lose $1 million in gas tax revenue this year. It’s also likely
his office won’t see $500,000 in vehicle registration fees this year,
as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has extended vehicle registration
deadlines by three months.
“I’m finding places I can cut—primarily projects and materials.
I’m protecting payroll the best I can,” Dhume said at the April 14
Madison County commissioners meeting, which was held by teleconference.
One project getting the ax is the six miles of asphalt paving
scheduled for 2020.
“There’s work needed that does not require materials, like ditchand
berm-cutting,” Dhume said. “We have a backlog of ditch-cutting
work that could be done.”
With drainage being the No. 1 complaint his office receives,
Dhume said the change in work plan is an opportunity to shift gears
and focus on ditch work.
“We will keep plenty busy,” he said.
Also at the commissioners’ meeting, Madison County Sheriff
John Swaney reported he was nearly ready to implement a new
entry/exit system for visitors to the county courthouse. The plan is
to limit entry and exit to the basement door on the High Street side
of the building. The reason is to screen visitors for COVID-19 symptoms
and allow for better social distancing controls.
Swaney also noted that he is purchasing masks from a local resident
who is making them. All of his deputies will get cloth masks
to wear while on duty then launder with their uniforms.
“It’s another tool to try to keep them safe,” he said.
Madison County Prosecutor Steve Pronai informed the commissioners
that he asked the Della Selsor Trust for financial help for
roof repairs on the Della Selsor Building at the fairgrounds. The
foundation is providing $10,000 toward the estimated $18,000 cost
of the project. Organizers suggested that the county approach them
again for additional funding once pandemic concerns subside.
Fairfield Township meetings cancelled
The Fairfield Township trustees have cancelled their April 20
meeting and all others until further notice due to the state’s stayat-home
and social distancing orders related to COVID-19.
Chapman said several scenarios are under consideration,
all of which depend on state guidelines for social
distancing. The first is to hold commencement in the
high school gym or at the stadium on May 24, the original
date for the ceremony. Another possibility is to do
the same but at a later date, should stay-at-home orders
remain in place beyond May 1; one possible date is June
21. Even later dates are a possibility but not as likely,
Chapman said.
“Worst case, we hold a modified ceremony that’s a
combination of traditional and virtual,” he said.
Commencement is a “great tradition” that caps 12
years of work for a student, said Steve Votaw, board
member.
“We should try to make it happen the best we can,”
he said.
“We need to at least try to give normalcy to graduation
after (the students) lost so much this spring,” said
Mary Jo Boyd, board member.
Chapman said the district is seeking input from the
seniors themselves as to what options they prefer. The
district is open to suggestions, he added.
In other news:
• The district has settled on a grading plan for the
fourth quarter of the school year. Students in grades 5-
12 will receive either a pass or incomplete, rather than
traditional letter grades. Those who receive an incomplete
for a course will have until the start of next school
year to remedy it.
“Distance/remote learning doesn’t look the same as
traditional learning... We decided (pass/incomplete) is
fair for the students and fair for the teachers,” said
Misty Swanger, assistant superintendent and curriculum
director.
Students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade
will receive narrative reports about their strengths and
areas that need improvement. Normally, they are assessed
based on mastery of content standards.
“This is what a lot of other school districts are doing,”
Swanger said.
• The district provided 260 Chromebooks to households
with students who needed them. Initially, each
household was limited to one device. Chapman said the
district is considering offering additional devices to families
with more than one child enrolled in the school system.
• Grab-and-go meals for students continue to be offered
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays at Plain City Elementary
and Monroe Elementary. The district’s cooks
are preparing the meals. On average, the district is distributing
200 meals per day.
• Treasurer Aaron Johnson predicts that COVID-19
will have a negative financial impact on the district’s
five-year financial forecast. He is already factoring into
the current budget decreases in income tax. He said
property tax collections could be down, too. Chapman
said he is considering reconvening the district’s financial
advisory committee. Board members Steve Votaw
and Shannon Foust are among the committee’s members.
• The board accepted the resignation of Tom Vargo,
high school athletic director and dean of students. Vargo
has been with the district for 34 years. His retirement
goes into effect on July 31. Chapman thanked him for
his “tremendous service.”
• The district rents out the former Plain City Elementary
building at 340 W. Main St. to several tenants,
some of whom use the building for operations and others
for storage. Because the building has become cost
prohibitive to maintain, Chapman has let the tenants
know they might need to look for other accommodations.
Those renting space in the building include Daily
Needs Assistance, Vineyard Church, Plain City Veterans
of Foreign Wars Post 3268, and the Plain City Historical
Society. Jonathan Alder’s latchkey program also
operates out of the building.