Published: November 10, 2009 12:29 am      

Covington names Booe superintendent

COVINGTON, Ind. — Kirk Booe will be the new superintendent of the Covington School District.

The Covington School Board appointed Booe, the current high school principal, as superintendent effective Jan. 1, 2010 Monday night.

“There is no doubt to Kirk’s commitment to Covington School Corporation,” said school board member Craig Dixon.

Booe said he considered it an honor to be appointed superintendent. Booe added that the community council that was established in August “will give us a lot of good feedback and allow us, the school corporation, to be transparent.”

Booe said that the past nine months has allowed the school corporation the time needed to see the problems clearly that corporation faces since previous superintendent Nate Evans’ resignation last February.

Interim Superintendent Dennis Cahill said the school board met in two closed sessions to discuss qualifications needed in the next superintendent and interviewed Booe very thoroughly before deciding on his appointment.

“I feel the board took the right approach and got the right person for the job,” Cahill said.

The school board appointed Booe as superintendent last spring, but Booe later decided to remain as high school principal.

The board will discuss Booe’s position as principal at the Dec. 14 meeting.

In other business, school board members:

-- Learned that the state budget committee approved the $1.8 million loan from the state’s rainy day fund. The next step in the state loan process is for the state board of finance to approve the loan on Nov. 17. The school board approved a resolution that authorized the borrowing of $1.8 million from the state’s rainy day fund.

-- Approved a resolution for the state’s property tax control board whereby the board is requesting a reduction in the state loan from a tax levy of $2.5 million to $1.8 million tax levy. The resolution essentially says that the school corporation will pay about $400,000 per year for five years instead of $500,000 per year. The property tax rate will be a 20 cents per $100 assessed valuation increase instead of 25 cents that was originally indicated with the $2.5 million loan.

-- Awarded the salvaging of the old elementary school kitchen equipment to the Warren County 4-H Fair Board with a bid of $500.

-- Appointed Judy Hegg as head custodian at the high school and hired Jack Romine as the elementary school’s night custodian. Romine fills the position that was left vacant with Hegg’s promotion.

-- Hired Brad Short as the varsity baseball coach. Short has been a physical education and health teacher for four years.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Covington School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 in the superintendent’s office.