North Clay School, Park Officials Clarify Property Discussions

Responding to concerns that there would no longer be area available as a FFA test plot at North Clay schools, officials from the North Clay Park District were present at this week's North Clay School Board meeting to discuss tentative plans for the property.

Representatives of the North Clay FFA Alumi shared a letter at the school board's June meeting that there were rumors the school district was going to sell the 20-acre tract, which they feared would leave no area for the test plot.

Instead, school district and park district officials shared this week that have been discussions about a possible lease or intergovernmental agreement that would give the Park District access to at least some of the property. The discussions have concerned developing a new area for the park district that would serve both the park district and the school district. Currently, the school district rents the park district facilities yearly and uses their facilities for athletics.

The Park District is looking at repairs and improvements at their current location, so park officials are looking at whether new facilities on school grounds might be a better financial option.

Officials also said there is no intent to take away all access for a FFA test plot.

Also this week, North Clay school officials heard a report on the elementary reading program...and accepted donation of desktop computers and laptops from USDA in Effingham and televisions and mounting brackets to view Channel 250 in hallways at the high school from Wabash Telephone Cooperative.

In personnel moves, North Clay board members hired Nancy Gray as substitute custodian, Julie Barbee as substitute paraprofessional, Roxanna Guinn as an elementary teacher, Travis Mulvaney as junior high head baseball coach, and Jason Lewis as junior high assistant baseball coach.

Board member Jenny McKinney asked for discussion at a future meeting on three issues; exploring community service for students as of next school year, exploring a crossing guard for near the highways in front of the schools before and after school, and rationale and history of why homeschooled students are not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities at North Clay.