The Ashley Grade School Board of Education met Thursday night, as they did not have enough for a quorum on Monday night.  Superintendent Brian Hodge reported that attendance has gone up 1 student to 156 in the past month.  The Board approved of some things involving the 8^th graders.  This includes paying for half of the graduating students’ costs for caps, tassels, honor cords and gowns, as they have done in the past years.  The students will be doing fundraising to raise funds to cover the other half of the expense and this was approved of them selling variety packs of chips and cookies in cases.  The Board also approved of the 8^th grade class trip to Holiday World.  But no date has been set for this yet.  In other news, the Board approved of amending the District Calendar, so there will be a teachers’ institute day on the last scheduled day of school and the students’ last day is the 2^nd last day of scheduled school.  It had been reversed in previous years.  They also approved of the reduction in force for next school year, something that is done every year.  Depending on what the budget looks like, they will be hired back at the beginning of the next school year.