Warsaw Schools Continues To Address Growth Issues; Budget Set At $59 Million

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.


Growth at Warsaw Schools continues to affect class sizes and hirings, even at the middle and high schools.

At the school board meeting Monday, school board member Delores Hearn asked about two new teacher positions.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth said due to the number of students at Lakeview Middle School, a physical education teacher was hired for three periods a day.

At the high school, Haworth said, there was an overflow with students in economics. Each of the two classes had about 34 students. In the past, the economics teachers were asked to teach during their prep time. This year, they refused to do so.

A social studies teacher was moved to the high school to teach social studies and free up class time for the economics teacher. The economics teacher will teach another class of economics. To teach economics, a teacher has to be certified in economics, which the new social studies teacher at the high school is not.

The school board also adopted the 2008 budget, the Capital Projects Fund, the bus replacement plan, a resolution to reduce the 2007 appropriations and 2008 budgets, and a tax neutrality resolution.

The total estimated budget for 2008 is $59,946,043. The proposed total is 6.3 percent ($3,537,554) more than the 2007 budget of $56,408,489.

In other business, the school board:

n Approved personnel recommendations, including: resignation of Steve Yeager as assistant varsity football coach and Katie Beehler as assistant swim coach. Matt Thacker will replace Yeager.

Marc Huffer is now the department chair for the technology department at the high school.

Jim Speicher will serve as the assistant varsity boys basketball coach at the high school, replacing Aaron Wolfe.

David Bailey will switch from head boys track team coach to assistant coach, and David Hoffert will move from assistant to head coach.

Janelle Rhoades was hired as a physical education and health teacher at Edgewood Middle School, Sheila Lent as English/language arts teacher, and Chad Gabrich will transfer from Lakeview Middle School to the high school to teach social studies.

n Approved an anonymous donation of $1,300 to Madison Elementary School for student needs.

n Approved a donation of $2,800 from Mr. and Mrs. Aguilar, Arby's Restaurant, for the purchase of new volleyball equipment at Lakeview Middle School.

n Heard from Warsaw Community High School Student Council President Mallory Kendall that homecoming was a success, including the return of Powder Puff. This year, the student council will focus on service and the return of school spirit.

n Heard a report from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandra Weaver on the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

From April 29 through May 1, Warsaw hosted a visiting team from NCA. On July 10, the district received notification that Warsaw School was awarded district accreditation.

n Heard a report from Bill Kovach, director of career and technical education, on the career and technical education strategic plan.

Kovach presented 11 areas of improvement, including a continued push to grow Warsaw's non-traditional population in its programs of study, and work to retain those students in the programs beyond the first class.

Dan Robinson, school board member who owns a construction company, said he read recently in a trade magazine where by 2011, there will be a shortage of 8 to 12 million workers. The average age of construction workers is 47. The number of workers younger than 30 is low. Construction was ranked 249 out of 250 for careers.

The bottom line, Robinson said, is in a few years, "you won't be able to get anything built well." People want the job, they want the pay, they just don't want to learn to do the job.

"Not everyone is college material," Robinson said, but there are lots of other opportunities for them.

Hearn said there are lots of comments nationally of how unprepared students are for the workplace.

n Heard from Haworth that school board member Chuck Sauders was opening his house up for board members, Haworth and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. No reason was stated.

Warsaw School Board members are President Ron Yeiter, Vice President Dan Robinson, Secretary Gene England, Deb Wiggins, Tammy Dalton, Delores Hearn and Chuck Sauders.[[In-content Ad]]

Growth at Warsaw Schools continues to affect class sizes and hirings, even at the middle and high schools.

At the school board meeting Monday, school board member Delores Hearn asked about two new teacher positions.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth said due to the number of students at Lakeview Middle School, a physical education teacher was hired for three periods a day.

At the high school, Haworth said, there was an overflow with students in economics. Each of the two classes had about 34 students. In the past, the economics teachers were asked to teach during their prep time. This year, they refused to do so.

A social studies teacher was moved to the high school to teach social studies and free up class time for the economics teacher. The economics teacher will teach another class of economics. To teach economics, a teacher has to be certified in economics, which the new social studies teacher at the high school is not.

The school board also adopted the 2008 budget, the Capital Projects Fund, the bus replacement plan, a resolution to reduce the 2007 appropriations and 2008 budgets, and a tax neutrality resolution.

The total estimated budget for 2008 is $59,946,043. The proposed total is 6.3 percent ($3,537,554) more than the 2007 budget of $56,408,489.

In other business, the school board:

n Approved personnel recommendations, including: resignation of Steve Yeager as assistant varsity football coach and Katie Beehler as assistant swim coach. Matt Thacker will replace Yeager.

Marc Huffer is now the department chair for the technology department at the high school.

Jim Speicher will serve as the assistant varsity boys basketball coach at the high school, replacing Aaron Wolfe.

David Bailey will switch from head boys track team coach to assistant coach, and David Hoffert will move from assistant to head coach.

Janelle Rhoades was hired as a physical education and health teacher at Edgewood Middle School, Sheila Lent as English/language arts teacher, and Chad Gabrich will transfer from Lakeview Middle School to the high school to teach social studies.

n Approved an anonymous donation of $1,300 to Madison Elementary School for student needs.

n Approved a donation of $2,800 from Mr. and Mrs. Aguilar, Arby's Restaurant, for the purchase of new volleyball equipment at Lakeview Middle School.

n Heard from Warsaw Community High School Student Council President Mallory Kendall that homecoming was a success, including the return of Powder Puff. This year, the student council will focus on service and the return of school spirit.

n Heard a report from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandra Weaver on the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

From April 29 through May 1, Warsaw hosted a visiting team from NCA. On July 10, the district received notification that Warsaw School was awarded district accreditation.

n Heard a report from Bill Kovach, director of career and technical education, on the career and technical education strategic plan.

Kovach presented 11 areas of improvement, including a continued push to grow Warsaw's non-traditional population in its programs of study, and work to retain those students in the programs beyond the first class.

Dan Robinson, school board member who owns a construction company, said he read recently in a trade magazine where by 2011, there will be a shortage of 8 to 12 million workers. The average age of construction workers is 47. The number of workers younger than 30 is low. Construction was ranked 249 out of 250 for careers.

The bottom line, Robinson said, is in a few years, "you won't be able to get anything built well." People want the job, they want the pay, they just don't want to learn to do the job.

"Not everyone is college material," Robinson said, but there are lots of other opportunities for them.

Hearn said there are lots of comments nationally of how unprepared students are for the workplace.

n Heard from Haworth that school board member Chuck Sauders was opening his house up for board members, Haworth and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. No reason was stated.

Warsaw School Board members are President Ron Yeiter, Vice President Dan Robinson, Secretary Gene England, Deb Wiggins, Tammy Dalton, Delores Hearn and Chuck Sauders.[[In-content Ad]]
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