Eight Wawasee Teachers Retire
New High School Assistant Principal Named
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
All of the educators recognized during the board meeting had worked in the district for at least 10 years, and a few for over 30 years. Also retiring was 20-year maintenance director Joe White.
The board had approved school-year-end retirement incentives as part of its teacher contract in March. Superintendent Tom Edington remarked while handing out plaques that he felt happy and sad at the same time, while board President Mike Wilson expressed his appreciation for the impact the educators had on his own kids.
Teachers retiring from the high school are Cynthia Bryan, art teacher for 30 years; William Guinther, media center director for 32 years; Mary Hurley, athletic director for 15 years; Anna Christine Kline, math teacher for 31 years; and Pamela Pletcher, English teacher for 32 years. Retiring from Wawasee Middle School are John Knisely, math teacher for 22 years, and Betty Jo Smith-Roberts, guidance counselor for 21 years.
The board then recognized new high school Assistant Principal Mike Schmidt, who will start July 1. A former Wawasee English teacher and football and track coach, he was chosen from over a dozen applicants to replace Tony Cassel, who accepted a principal position at a Tennessee high school.
Schmidt said he sought the Wawasee position because “the values of the community and the school match my own, and the fact that I have the opportunity to come back to the school where I learned a lot of my craft... It's like home to me.”
Also during the meeting, the board voted to raise the price of subsidized lunches by 10 cents to meet a federal mandate that school corporations charge closer to the per-student $2.70 average reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Elementary students will begin paying $1.30 for meals next school year, secondary students $1.60, and adults $2.10.
A gradual increase of a dime a year will take about 10 years to meet the federal reimbursement, Financial Officer Jim Evans observed.
Board member Rebecca Linnemeier added that an accompanying move toward healthier lunch offerings, another part of the government mandate, should mean “more tomatoes, less ketchup.”[[In-content Ad]]
All of the educators recognized during the board meeting had worked in the district for at least 10 years, and a few for over 30 years. Also retiring was 20-year maintenance director Joe White.
The board had approved school-year-end retirement incentives as part of its teacher contract in March. Superintendent Tom Edington remarked while handing out plaques that he felt happy and sad at the same time, while board President Mike Wilson expressed his appreciation for the impact the educators had on his own kids.
Teachers retiring from the high school are Cynthia Bryan, art teacher for 30 years; William Guinther, media center director for 32 years; Mary Hurley, athletic director for 15 years; Anna Christine Kline, math teacher for 31 years; and Pamela Pletcher, English teacher for 32 years. Retiring from Wawasee Middle School are John Knisely, math teacher for 22 years, and Betty Jo Smith-Roberts, guidance counselor for 21 years.
The board then recognized new high school Assistant Principal Mike Schmidt, who will start July 1. A former Wawasee English teacher and football and track coach, he was chosen from over a dozen applicants to replace Tony Cassel, who accepted a principal position at a Tennessee high school.
Schmidt said he sought the Wawasee position because “the values of the community and the school match my own, and the fact that I have the opportunity to come back to the school where I learned a lot of my craft... It's like home to me.”
Also during the meeting, the board voted to raise the price of subsidized lunches by 10 cents to meet a federal mandate that school corporations charge closer to the per-student $2.70 average reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Elementary students will begin paying $1.30 for meals next school year, secondary students $1.60, and adults $2.10.
A gradual increase of a dime a year will take about 10 years to meet the federal reimbursement, Financial Officer Jim Evans observed.
Board member Rebecca Linnemeier added that an accompanying move toward healthier lunch offerings, another part of the government mandate, should mean “more tomatoes, less ketchup.”[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092