Board Summary

This fall has been marked by a series of impactful community engagement events across the Wawasee district, fostering strong connections and productive discussions about our schools and communities.

• Community Re-Engagement Committee: Reassembled in September to review progress and re-evaluate priorities since its spring 2023 inception.
• Retiree Breakfast: Our first annual event brought together former staff to reconnect, provide updates, and gather valuable feedback.
• Town Hall Events: Open meetings held in Milford, Syracuse, and North Webster included district updates and open forums for community input.
• Coffee Chats: Launched in Milford, with upcoming visits planned in Syracuse and North Webster.

Through these events, we shared positive district updates and addressed challenges, such as declining student enrollment, affordable housing, and the need for stronger community connections. Community members have shown strong interest in being part of the solution, offering support for efforts like enrollment growth and broader community revitalization.

One recurring topic has been the need for additional space for student events and practices. Scheduling conflicts for basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics teams highlight the growing demand for a Student Activity Center. Exploring this potential solution aligns with our commitment to making strategic and fiscally responsible decisions, supported by the district's recent cost savings and revenue generation.

Looking ahead, we will continue gathering community insights to shape the district’s vision, goals, and strategies. Together, we are building stronger partnerships and addressing our evolving needs to make Wawasee a destination of choice for families and students.

Our elementary schools are completing the Indiana ILEARN Checkpoints, a pilot diagnostic tool designed to align with Indiana Academic Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. These assessments, provided by the Indiana Department of Education, offer valuable insights to support student success throughout the year.

Key benefits of the ILEARN Checkpoints include:

• Targeted Support: Teachers use the results to identify areas where students need extra help, ensuring tailored instruction and interventions.
• Data-Driven Planning: Checkpoints provide meaningful data to guide instructional decisions and fuel collaborative discussions in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
• Progress Monitoring: These benchmarks help us monitor growth and prepare students for the end-of-year ILEARN assessment.
• Teacher Development: Ongoing professional development equips our educators to analyze data and implement evidence-based strategies for student improvement.

We’re excited to see how these tools enhance our ability to support students on their learning journey, ensuring they meet and exceed grade-level expectations.

Grant Awarded: WCSC received $15,000 from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

• $5,000 will fund staff and student field experiences related to college and career readiness.
• $10,000 will support a district career coach.

Teacher Recognition: WMS teacher Peggy Cook received a $500 grant from Via Credit Union for her “Dissecting Chicken Wings” project, giving 7th-grade students hands-on experience in anatomy.

FFA Updates: Mrs. Mariah Roberts and members of the Wawasee FFA are showcasing their latest projects and achievements.

Exemplary Student Recognition: Emily Knight, Wawasee High School Football Manager, earned an IHSAA Exemplary Behavior Report for outstanding performance as a ball girl, praised by officials for her readiness and professionalism.

Athletic Accomplishment: Congratulations to Mia Hodgson for qualifying for the state Cross Country meet for the second year. She set a personal record and smashed her school record with a time of 18:35, finishing 30th in the state.

Girls Wrestling Milestone: The IHSAA officially recognizes Girls Wrestling as a full sport. Members of Wawasee’s first-ever Girls Wrestling Team and their coach, Miguel Rodriguez, were in attendance.

Transfer of funds (Approved)

A few years ago, former Wawasee School Board member Becky Linnemeier established the Student Success Fund at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to support student social and emotional growth. Wawasee Schools is fortunate to be the recipient of these funds, which help enhance our programs. The school board approved the use of $7,001.16 from this fund to support the School Care Team at Wawasee Middle School, an initiative approved last month to further support our students' well-being.

Consideration of Lease (Approved)

WCSC has been working diligently with the high school and middle school gymnastics teams to find a short-term solution for their program while exploring potential long-term options. This month, we secured a lease with Shore Capital, LLC to rent space at the former Polar Kraft complex in Syracuse. This space will serve as a practice facility for the upcoming gymnastics season, marking a positive step forward in addressing the program's needs. The school board is being asked to approve this lease, pending legal review, to ensure the plans can proceed smoothly.

Supporting Early-Career Special Education Teachers (Approved)

Wawasee Schools is seeking board approval to contract with Holly Wilkinson, a former Wawasee special education teacher, to support our new and early-career special education staff. Working 10-15 hours weekly at $40/hour, funded by Medicaid reimbursement, Mrs. Wilkinson will provide invaluable guidance to help teachers thrive and improve outcomes for students. This arrangement is proposed through the 2024-2025 school year.

Employment:

• Shannon Cox - NWES - 5.5 Hour Title 1 Paraprofessional

• Katelyn Nieman - SES - 5.75 Hour Special Education Paraprofessional

• Lynae Rookstool - SES - 5.5 Hour Building Level Primary Focus Paraprofessional

• Austin Allen - WMS - 6th Boys Basketball Coach #2

• Kevin Carr - WHS - Girls Wrestling Assistant #2 Coach

• Brady Claassen - WHS - Swimming Assistant #2 Coach

• Roxanne Franco - WMS - Cheerleading Coach

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

• Zachary Price - WHS - Baseball Coach Assistant #2 Coach

• Marisa Seitner - WHS - Girls Wrestling Assistant #1 Coach

Transfer:

• David Shipley: WMS Health/PE Teacher to WMS Special Education Teacher

Resignations:

• Rick Carroll - WCSC Transportation

• Kim Jensen - SES - 5 Hour Building Level Primary Focus Paraprofessional

• Nallely Marin Torres - SES - 5.75 Hour Special Education Paraprofessional

• Jenna Myers - Softball JV Assistant Coach - WHS

• Eileen Cripe - Tennis Assistant Girls Coach - WHS

Retirements:

• Kiwanis Club of Wawasee - WHS - FFA - Convention expenses.

• Matthew & Sonia Morehouse - WHS - FFA - Feed A Farmer Program

• Tom & Melissa Sorensen - WHS - FFA - Feed A Farmer Program

• Avis Wilkinson - WHS - FFA - Feed A Farmer Program

• Rhodes Insurance Agency - WHS - Super Mileage - Donation

• Women of Today - WHS - Student Needs

• Knights of Columbus Council #6323 - WHS - Boys & Girls Track - Donation

• Knights of Columbus Council #6323 - WHS - DECA Club - Donation

• Kiwanis Club of Milford - WHS - Key Club - Camp

• Ken & Pam Zick - WHS - Welding - Dye Penetrant Kit - Student use

• The Papers Inc - $250 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Schroeder Insurance - $150 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Main Channel - $500 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Aluminum Insights - $500 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Sudlow’s Pier Shop - $100 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Douglas & Jeannine Schrock - $7,000 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Channel Marker - $250 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Syracuse Bud’s Body Shop - $250 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Ousley Seawall Construction - $500 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Beyond Landscaping - $500 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Phend & Brown - $250 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Griffith’s Wawasee Marina - $500 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Milestone Construction - $1,000 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Ace Hardware of North Webster - $100 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Sands Accounting - $100 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Techtmeyer Ace Hardware of Syracuse - $100 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Construction Designs by Rodman - $500 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Bravo Trailers - $250 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Ritter Electric, HVAC & Plumbing - $250 - Wawasee High School - Super Mileage Sponsor

• Land O’ Lakes, Inc. - $250 - Wawasee High School - Band Sponsor

• Tom & Cynthia Herald - $5,000 - Wawasee High School - Band Sponsor

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:

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.