No staff layoffs are expected at Warsaw schools because of state funding cuts, the Warsaw school board was told Monday.

Those cuts also may mean a delay in any building programs the school board has planned.

Rande Thorpe, business manager for Warsaw Community Schools, said the state told school corporations that distributions will be $115 million less than expected.

"To Warsaw, that means $946,000," he said.

But instead of eliminating staffing and teaching positions, Thorpe said, WCS will make cuts in categoried funds, such as summer school and the gifted and talented program.

And where new projects are concerned - projects such as the new Atwood elementary school and the football stadium and auditorium at Warsaw Community High School - Thorpe said, "We believe it's prudent to keep those things on hold" until it's clear what funding is coming from the state.

The school board also heard from board attorney Max Reed, who said state law requires a review of the electoral districts every 10 years to ensure the districts are approximately equal in population.

Reed said the only change this year would be the new precinct 5 in Plain Township, which he recommends would be placed in school board district 2.

He said there would be no other changes in any of the seven school board districts, and recommended keeping the districts as they are now.

This fall, four school board seats will be up for election: district 1, now represented by Brad Brail, who announced Monday he will not seek re-election; district 2, Cathy Folk; district 5, Larry Chamberlain; and district 7, Roy Szymanski.

In other business, the board:

• Accepted the schools' improvement reports, based on Public Law 221 issued by the Indiana Department of Education. P.L. 221 requires each school to develop a plan for improvement, and the plan must be reviewed and approved by the superintendent.

Madison Elementary School presented its improvement plan to the board as an example of what each school did. Jeff Neumann, Madison principal, called the process of developing the plan an "arduous task" that involved survey of parents, students and former students; compiling and interpreting data from teachers and administrators; and formulating the report.

"This is a process right now that's only begun," Neumann said. "This is a community effort to find out what's important and where we need to go."

• Accepted a bid of $680,000 from Quality Plumbing & Heating, Bunker Hill, for the first phase of installing air conditioning at Lakeview Middle School. Greg Schroeder, director of buildings and grounds for WCS, said the entire project should take two years, but "it could possibly go three years, but we anticipated that."

• Reviewed suggested changes to the student handbook for Warsaw Community High School. According to assistant principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield, the changes are mostly to clarify wording, and no major policy changes are included.

Warsaw School Board members are: Craig Allebach, president; Charles Sauders, vice president; Roy Szymanski, secretary; Brad Brail; Larry Chamberlain; Cathy Folk; and Jim Folk. Superintendent Lee Harman was not present Monday; assistant superintendent Dave McGuire was acting superintendent. [[In-content Ad]]