Greensburg —  Wednesday night, at the regular monthly meeting of the Decatur County Community Schools (DCCS) Board, Superintendent Johnny Budd announced that the Board’s acquisition of A to Z Occasions had been completed.

“A to Z is now, officially, the DCCS Central Office,” Budd said.

Budd characterized the purchase as a bold, important move for the corporation.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Wilcox said the purchase shows “great forward thinking by the corporation,” allowing for significant expansion and growth moving forward.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with our Board for buying this building,” Wilcox said. “We’ve needed a new home for several years, and it was past time.”

Wilcox said the current Central Office building at 1645 West State Road 46 (the site of Wednesday’s meeting) hasn’t been sold, but he anticipates it will be in the future.

Budd also announced Wednesday night that the Echo15 initiative had announced its second phase of funding and that Decatur County will receive between $350,000 and $400,000.

“The grant amounts to each of Echo15’s 15 counties was different in phase 2,” the superintendent explained. “Everyone was allotted a different amount based on how effectively they used the funds from phase 1. The bulk of that money will go toward adult education initiatives.”

The Board will discuss the Echo15 grant more at future meetings when the money is distributed, Budd said.

Budd also briefed the Board on recent educational forums he’s attended with other superintendents from around the region, one of which was also attended by the Daily News at the home of State Representative Randy Frye (R-67).

“Nobody minds accountability,” Budd said, referring to recent, drastic changes effected to the state’s teacher assessment system. “But the general consensus among everyone at both recent meetings is that things are moving too quickly. Just about everyone agreed we need to slow down and stop enacting these changes until we fully understand the changes we’re dealing with now.”

In example, Budd cited the fact that he’s expected to do evaluations of his building principals based on the new system, but that superintendent training for such evaluations won’t be held by the state until March.

“By then, the school year will be almost over,” Budd said. “But I’m expected to evaluate my principals based on a model for which I haven’t been trained.”

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the Board approved the purchase of a slightly used, 2012 model-year school bus with 14,000 miles to replace an older-model bus with over 300,000 miles.

Said Wilcox, “If we bought this bus new, it would cost about $88,000, but this purchase will cost $78,000, which is a significant savings.”

Wilcox added that he anticipates the new bus to be as durable and long lasting as the one it replaces.

The Board also formally accepted a $5,000 donation from MainSource bank for a new sound system at South Decatur Elementary School Wednesday night.

Wilcox told the Daily News that the new sound system has already been installed.

The Board also appointed retired South Decatur High School teacher Ernestine Mcintyre to the Decatur County Community Foundation Scholarship selection committee Wednesday night, and formally adopted the new RISE model teacher evaluation forms.

The next regular meeting of the DCCS will be at 5:30 p.m., Nov. 14, at the Central Office.

Contact: Rob Cox at 812-663-3111 x7011.