Involving the community in long-range planning for Warsaw Community Schools began Tuesday with the first meeting of the community-based planning project committees.

Two committees of 25 members each met together Tuesday at Warsaw Community High School for an introduction to the upcoming process. Leading Tuesday's meeting were the two men who will chair both committees: Dr. Robert Boyd, a professor at Indiana State University; and Dr. John Ellis, superintendent of Noblesville schools.

The purpose of the committees, Boyd said, is to analyze data, share information and consider the culture and aspirations of the community in setting goals for local schools.

Four major themes will be addressed, Boyd said: finances, facilities, educational programming and enrollment management. The committees will not decide or evaluate academic policy, he said, but will "understand what it is now and what it might look like in the future."

Enrollment management, he said, is looking at how the buildings and the numbers of students "should be managed to ensure delivery of a modern educational program."

Boyd reviewed demographics the committee members will need to keep in mind, such as the facts that population in Kosciusko County has grown steadily since 1960; the rate of growth in Kosciusko County has exceeded the growth rate in the state; and that only 75 percent of Indiana residents (77 percent in Kosciusko County) have high school diplomas.

The graduation rate, he said, means one-fourth of Hoosiers aren't high school graduates, which "ranks us 48th in the United States. ... So that's probably something we should not brag about."

Ellis said the committees' work should be filtered through the WCS mission statement: "Warsaw Community Schools is dedicated to providing all students with a quality education to enable them to be lifelong learners and successful citizens."

The final goals of the committee process, Ellis said, will be to improve learning, enhance communications about the schools and improve productivity.

The committees will meet individually starting Jan. 13 and ending in late spring or early summer. Committee meetings are open to the public.

WCS Superintendent Dr. Lee Harman said today that the cost of the process, including payment to Ellis and Boyd for their services, is $17,000, which is being appropriated from the capital projects and transportation funds.

He also said the committee members were chosen by a combination of some school board members and administration personnel.

When asked if the committee members were chosen to rubber-stamp administration policies, Harman said, "We tried to balance the committees as much as possible." Members were chosen from all over the school district, he said, including people with and without children in school.

"We tried to make sure that we're not leaning in any direction," he said.

Ellis' committee, which will concentrate on finances and enrollment management, includes the following members: Jacque Brandenburg, Randy Polston, Laura Ramsey, Della Swain, Bill Kovach, Gunny Witzky, Ann White, Marti Barber, Tammy Dalton, Carole Delp, Steve Jungbauer, Janet Warren, Rick Kerlin, Dave Bickel, Deb Johnson, John Mannan, Gary Tanner, Jeff Noffsinger, Kevin Marose, Pat Miller, Steve Hollar, Pablo Coria, Clint Pletcher, Bret Wolf and Cheryl Bassford.

Boyd's committee will focus on finances, academic programming and facilities. Members are: Tony Etienne, Rande Thorpe, Paul Crousore, Greg Schroeder, Dennis VanDuyne, Terry Sims, Scott Avery, Cathy Holbrook, Harold Jones, John Teevan, Ruth Voreis, Cindy Jones, John Byrd, Mike Sells, Rob Reneker, Sally Davison, Larry Downs, Pat Outlaw, Bill Henthorn, Stan Seiss, Lorraine Anglin, Rick Stair, Lois Neimeir, Brent Reinholt and Dave Brumbaugh, with alternates Steve Slaughter, Janelle Kessler, Rachel Conley and Alyssa Bott. [[In-content Ad]]