Board Summary

Community "Re" Engagement Committee

A year and a half ago, we began a community engagement process that allowed us to prioritize areas for investment in our district. Since then, we’ve made significant progress, including the construction of a new Milford Elementary School and renovations at the high school. We’ve also addressed several other important projects, with more in progress.

Later this month, we will reconvene the original community group to celebrate our accomplishments and discuss next steps to meet additional needs. This meeting will take place on Monday, September 30th, and we’re excited to re-engage with this dedicated group.

Additionally, we’ve scheduled three town hall meetings in each of our elementary school communities for late October and early November. These meetings will include updates on the state of our schools, followed by time for questions and input from parents, community members, and other stakeholders. We’re eager to reconnect with the community and gather valuable feedback as we continue our work.

Milford Ground Breaking

On Tuesday, August 27th, the Milford Elementary School community took a significant first step toward the construction of their new facility with an official groundbreaking ceremony held at 9:00 AM. We extend our sincere appreciation to MKS, Elevatus Architecture, and our board members for their contributions in making this event truly special.

IREAD Official Results:

Wawasee Community Schools achieved a corporation-wide IREAD passing rate of 90.5%, surpassing the state average of 82.5%. North Webster Elementary reached a perfect 100%, Milford Elementary achieved 94.4%, and Syracuse Elementary had 83.2%. The district is continuing to strive toward the state's goal of 95%.

Curriculum Adoption Update:

Wawasee Community School Corporation is in the process of adopting new curriculum for both English Language Arts (K-12) and Science (K-12). A thorough review is currently underway, and a formal recommendation will be presented to the board in March or April for approval.

Milford Elementary is proud to be named one of the Top 10 schools in the Indiana Literacy Cadre for achieving the highest growth in passing IREAD scores. This recognition highlights our commitment to literacy excellence and our students' progress.

The Wawasee Early Learning Center has been awarded a generous $50,000 grant from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. This grant will enable us to enhance our facilities and further enrich the learning environment for our youngest students. The funds will be used to complete outdoor play spaces at our Syracuse, North Webster, and Milford locations, providing children with safe and engaging areas for physical activity and social interaction. In addition, the grant will allow us to upgrade indoor supplies, including sensory toys, developmental tools, and age-appropriate furniture, ensuring that we meet the highest standards of care and education. This investment will have a lasting impact on the quality of early learning in our community.

Cafeteria Shoe Stipend: (Approved) Our Food Service Director, Mrs. Murray, has requested board approval for a $75 shoe stipend for cafeteria employees who have completed 30 or more days of employment. This stipend, available every other year, will help employees purchase work shoes of their choice.

Milford Library Appointment: (Approved) Mindy Brooks to serve a full 4 year term that was set to begin on August 1, 2024.

Consideration of Gymnastics: (Approved) The recommendation was made to keep the Wawasee High School and Middle Schoo Gymnastics team while discontinuing the set up of the equipment in the auxiliary gym for the entire gymnastics season. However, we will continue to allow the Wawasee Gymnastics Club to use our facilities for tumbling and other activities that do not require the equipment. Due to the key issues raised that include the safety and liability concerns of leaving gymnastics equipment set up in the auxiliary gym, which also limits the use of the space for other activities, including athletics and PE classes.

Over the past month, we have been actively working on the future of the gymnastics program and exploring potential solutions. On Tuesday, August 27th, we held a productive meeting with representatives from the gymnastics community, school administrators, and two board members to discuss various options for the program.

Despite low participation numbers in recent years, there is strong support for continuing both the high school and middle school gymnastics teams. In the short term, we propose finding alternative practice solutions while we, along with the gymnastics club, explore long-term options for a dedicated facility. Mr. Doty has already begun exploring short-term solutions for the upcoming season, and we are confident this can work temporarily.

In the meantime, we will continue to search for long-term solutions, such as utilizing vacant buildings in the Syracuse area or potential district space in the future.

Employment:

• Stephanie Buck -WHS - Cafeteria Worker

• Jody Clay -WMS - Cafeteria Worker.

• Tara Conn Substitute Bus Driver.

• Tara Conn Substitute Cafeteria Worker.

• Candace Grendys - SES - Speech, Language Paraprofessional.

• Gina Grindle - WCSC - Medical Assistant.

• Taiylor Horn - MES - Administrative Assistant.

• Audrey Huff - NWES - Special Education Paraprofessional.

• Brittany Huff - SES - Title 1 Paraprofessional.

• Nallely Marin Torres - SES - Special Ed Paraprofessional.

• Chasity McDonald - WHS - Cafeteria Worker.

• Sarah Mock - NWES - Special Education Paraprofessional.

• Kylee Schlagenhauf - Special Education Paraprofessional.

• Patricia Zartman - MES - Resource Paraprofessional.

• Chase Davis - WHS - Wrestling Assistant #1 (Boys).
  

• Molly Liston - WHS - Freshman Cheerleading Coach (Fall season).

• Corin Nyce - WMS - Volleyball Coach.

Resignations:

• Carly Everingham - WMS - PE Teacher. Effective August 30, 2024.

• Janet Farrington - WMS - Special Education Teacher. Effective August 12, 2024.

• Crystal Smith - SES - Special Education Paraprofessional. Effective August 12, 2024.

• Sarah Wallenbeck - SES - Title 1 Paraprofessional. Effective August 14, 2024.

• Dakota Wroblewski - WHS - Grounds Custodian. Effective August 30, 2024.
  

• Joe Salazar - Head Varsity Baseball Coach - WHS

• Andrew Zaebst - Assistant Baseball Coach - WHS

• Jerry (Blake) Haynie - Freshman Baseball Coach - WHS

• Danielle Norris (Jaquay) - Assistant Softball Coach - WHS

• Crystal Jaquay - JV Assistant Softball Coach - WHS

• Steve Coverstone - Head Varsity Boys Golf Coach - WHS

• Miguel Rodriguez - Assistant Wrestling Coach - WHS

• Joe Salazar - Assistant Wrestling Coach - WHS

• NW Church of the Brethren Women’s Fellowship - NWES students’ needs
  

• Shoemaker Electric - WHS - Art Dept. (Ceramics) Donation

• Kosciusko Co. 4-H D C F S Committee - WHS - FFA Donation

• Nathan Scherer - WHS - FFA Donation

• Joseph & Myra Sands - WHS - FFA Donation

• James Rhodes - WHS - FFA Donation

• Northern Lakes Realty - WHS - Homecoming Donation

• Lakeside Coffee Co. - WHS - Homecoming Donation

• Shipley Dental Innovations - WHS - Homecoming Donation

• Smoker Craft - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Northern Lakes Insurance - WHS - Athletic Donation

• QES - WHS - Athletic Donation

• The Winning Edge - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Bart’s Watersports - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Ergo Resource Management - WHS - Athletic Donation

• The Griepentrog Family - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Grace College Athletics - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Wawasee Community Bible Church - WHS - Athletic Donation

• The Papers - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Dynamic Spine and Rehab Center - WHS - Athletic Donation

• The Motz Group - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Alderfer Bergen & Co. - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Diligent Wealth Management - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Brent & Cindy Kaiser - WHS - Athletic Donation

• Wawasee American Legion Post 223: Post 223, Auxiliary Unit, Sons of American Legion Squadron, Legion Riders
  
• Blue Barn Events
  
• Pizza King
  
• Track & Trail Powersports
  

The School Board recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on School Corporation matters. This month the following patrons spoke:

Shaun Fedder - WHS Gymnastics Team

Nika Prather - Wawasee Gymnastics Club / WHS Gymnastics Team

Kim Kruthers - WHS Gymnastics Club / WHS Gymnastics Team

To find more information about making a patron comment at monthly board meetings, click HERE. Under Bylaws - po0167.3

• Financial Report - See Graphic Below

The charts below are presented to the board each month by Dr. Penrod, recapping the total revenue and expenditures from our four main school funds.