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School board approves new cosmetology program provider

It was an extremely short Huntington County Community School Corporation school board meeting Monday, Nov. 10 - just 20 minutes.

But board members got right to business and approved a two-year cosmetology cooperative agreement with Creations Beauty School.

School Superintendent Tracey Shafer says the contract, awarded to Donna Gressley, will begin in the fall of the 2015-16 school year at a new facility currently under construction at Caribbean Corner, 495 Bowen Park Ave.

The contract will obligate HCCSC to ppay $5,895 for each student who goes through the two-year cosmetology program. Shafer said that is the same price the school corporation is paying now to Vogue School of Beauty, which operates the former Huntington Beauty College business at 442 N. Jefferson St.

"Our kids are completing that program this year and next year in 2015 they will begin at Creations Beauty School," Shafer added.

School Board President Kevin Patrick expressed his support for the move, which received a unanimous 7-0 vote from board members.

"I think this is outstanding for our community and for out kids," he said. "I look forward to the day when that takes place."

In other business before the board:

• The board voted 5-2 to increase the salaries of Alternative Education Coordinator Tony Burnworth and HNHS Dean of Students Jami Craft, bringing them in line with the salaries of colleagues at other school corporations. Shafer explained these are not performance increases, but rather bring Burnworth and Craft's salaries up to the pay standards of their position level. Patrick and Tom King voted against the increases.

• The board also unanimously approved accepting $8,000 from United Way to Crestview Middle School to upgrade its Read 180 software. Shafer says the program has been successful not only at Crestview, but also at Riverview, the high school and other schools in the district.

• Shafer reiterated the steps to add a new member to the board to fill the seat that will be vacated by District 5 board member Tom King in January. Shafer said notices will go out about the "anticipated" vacancy, seeking letters of interest from applicants until Dec. 12.

A special session would be called to conduct interviews. Those interviews must be conducted in open special sessions in early January, after newly-elected board members Brian Warpup and Mathew Roth have been sworn in. The public may come and witness the interviews.

Board members would then wrap up interviews and select the candidate to fill the District 5 seat at the regularly-scheduled Jan. 12 school board meeting.