J-M superintendent plans to retire July 31

An emergency operating renewal levy also was
discussed.

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NORTH JACKSON — Jackson-Milton Board of Education approved the resignation of Superintendent Warne “Buck” Palmer, for retirement effective July 31, after eight years of leading the school district.

“It’s been a great opportunity for me and a privilege to work here,” Palmer said after Thursday‘s meeting. “It’s been all good.”

He didn’t detail his reasons for resigning, other than citing family commitments and a desire to pursue other opportunities.

Applications to fill the post will be available Feb. 29, with interviews to take place in April. A recommendation for a new superintendent could be made at the board’s meeting in May, Palmer noted.

One of the district’s top goals is to again achieve a rating of excellent on the state’s report card on local schools’ performance, which comes out in August. For the past few years, the district has gotten an effective rating, the second-best standing.

The five rankings are excellent, effective, continuous improvement, academic watch and academic emergency.

Attendees heard a series of presentations outlining ideas school officials hope will bring the district to the top rating in advance of the Ohio Graduation Tests and Ohio Achievement Tests, which are given in March and May, respectively.

Ideas include improving pupils’ knowledge retention for the OGT as well as in math, science and foreign languages; adding instructional hours; redesigning the curriculum to focus more on math and science; tweaking and combining some social studies classes; and solving certain scheduling problems, noted Joe Malmisur, Jackson-Milton High School principal.

Toward that end, Palmer put forth long-term strategies, such as aligning the curriculum so it’s more in line with state content standards, and having students engage more often in active learning situations, as opposed to learning around passive instruction.

Also discussed was a five-year, 5.6-mill emergency operating renewal levy on the March 4 primary election ballot. The levy should bring to the district around $988,000 annually to go toward transportation and other operating costs. Passage of the levy will not mean new taxes for residents, Treasurer John Zinger stressed.

Those in attendance received an update on the new $14.5 million, 81,000-square-foot Jackson-Milton High School/Middle School, to be built on 100 acres between Mahoning Avenue and Interstate 76.

Bid packages for concrete and masonry, electricity, plumbing and other work are due March 6 but could be extended a few weeks afterward, board member Joe Yochman noted.

Construction is tentatively set to get under way April 15, Yochman added. The facility, which will house pupils in grades six through 12, is scheduled to open in September 2009.