PENDLETON — South Madison Community School Corp. board of trustees approved a contract to install artificial turf at Pendleton Heights High School during its first 2020 meeting. It also voted on officers and other appointments, made a donation to a Boy Scout troop and confirmed meeting dates through December.

The board approved an agreement with Maumee Bay Turf Center to install synthetic turf at John Broughton Field.

The district has considered making the move to synthetic turf for several years. Cost for the new field is $798,000.

Maumee Bay Turf Center near Toledo, Ohio, installed the field at Greenfield-Central High School and previously resurfaced Pendleton Heights High School’s track.

Of the eight-member Hoosier Heritage Conference, Pendleton Heights, Yorktown and Shelbyville are the only schools that do not have synthetic turf fields at their football stadiums.

The board also approved a transportation department request for permission to declare surplus equipment and donate it to the Pendleton Boy Scout Troop 232.

The equipment includes bus radios and transportation and maintenance radios.

District business manager Ken McCarty said the radios had little to no resale value.

McCarty said there were four or five usable radios.

“I think it’s a nice step to help a non-profit, especially when it’s dealing with our students. I feel good about it,” Hutton told the board.

Chris Boots (president), Buck Evans (vice president) and Bill Hutton (secretary) were all nominated and voted unanimously to remain as officers for the board.

The lone change came at assistant secretary where Joel Sandefur, the lone nominee, replaces Kaye Wolverton.

Appointments

There were also few changes in board appointments and representation to advisory committees.

The board approved appointments for board attorney (Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim), treasurer (Penny Myers), Payroll Clerk/Assistant Treasurer (Connie Jones), Delegate to the Indiana School Boards Association Convention (Hutton), ISBA Legislative Liaison Designate (Sandefur), ISBA Policy Liaison Designate (Hutton), Athletic Council representative (Amy McGinnis) and Parliamentarian (Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim).

The only change from last year was McGinnis replacing Mark Brizendine as the Athletic Council Representative.

Advisory committee approvals were made for Alternative School Program (McGinnis), Area Vocational (Wolverton), WEEM (Hutton), Industrial Technology (Sandefur), Technology (Evans), Vocational Agriculture (Evans), Vocational Business Education (McGinnis), Vocational Family and Consumer Life Sciences (Wolverton) and Construction Trades (Hutton/Wolverton).

The only committee change was with Technology where Evans replaced Brizendine.

For board representation to civic boards, Hutton was re-appointed to the re-development commission.

“Usually there are a few more changes,” Superintendent Joe Buck said. “They enjoy it and they’re knowledgeable about the committees they serve on, so they continue on.”

Meeting dates

The board will continue to have meetings, for the 2020 calendar year, scheduled for the first and third Thursdays of each month with the exception of summer months and those that fall during spring, fall, and winter breaks and holidays.

There will be only one meeting in March (March 5) because of spring break. June’s meeting will be on the first Thursday (June 4), while the July meeting, because of Independence Day, will take place on the second Thursday (July 9).

Fall break requires meetings in October 2020 to be on the first (Oct. 1) and fourth Thursday (Oct. 22). There will be only one meeting in December (Dec. 10).

The organizational meeting for 2021 is set for Jan. 7.

Personnel recommendations

Bradley Schnepp was approved as an instructional assistant at Pendleton Heights High School.

The board accepted the resignation of Audrey Stahly as the high school girls’ junior varsity soccer coach.