WCS Textbook Costs Rising Slightly
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Textbook costs will increase slightly next year for students in Warsaw Community Schools, the school board approved Monday.
Costs for high school and middle school students will vary according to classes. But elementary school textbook fees will be: kindergarten - $56; grade one - $97; grade two - $89; grade three - $94; grade four - $88; grade five - $98; and grade six - $99.
The board also heard from maintenance director Greg Schroeder that the renovation project for Lakeview Middle School ceilings will be canceled.
Schroeder said a contractor alleged collusion during the bidding process, charging that other contractors conspired to lock him out of the bidding.
School corporation attorneys said WCS did nothing wrong, Schroeder said, but because of the charges, there is no time now to re-bid the project and do the work before the next school year starts.
Board member Mark Minatel asked that the board be taken through the bidding process so they can better understand it in the future.
Parent Angela Fulton brought up the beheading video incident at the high school, saying her son was in the Warsaw Community High School class that watched the video of the beheading of American Nick Berg over the Internet. She said she wasn't officially notified of the May 14 incident until she received a letter a month later from principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield, expressing shock and dismay at the incident and offering two free counseling sessions at the Bowen Center.
Fulton asked the board if the substitute teacher who showed the video will be allowed to return to WCHS and superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire said he would not comment on personnel matters.
Fulton said she did not call the teacher by name, but wanted to know what had been done.
McGuire said, "Dr. Brumfield expressed regret that this happened, and I would like to echo that. ... We have taken steps to prevent a repeat, but we can't say what."
The board also:
• Heard that the filing period for board election begins July 21 and ends at noon Aug. 20. Paperwork for candidates can be picked up at the administration office, and petitions must be signed by at least 10 registered voters in the candidate's district and then filed with the Kosciusko County Clerk's office.
Seats currently held by board president Craig Allebach, Mark Minatel and Jim Folk are up for election.
Allebach said a seminar for prospective board members will be held Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., but the location has not yet been decided.
• Heard a report from assistant superintendent Sandra Hess that the adequate yearly progress, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act, is still short of corporation goals, especially in the special education classes.
"We're making progress, but we still not where we need to be," she said.
• Hess also reported on nurses for the school corporation. There are six school nurses for approximately 6,400 students, she said, and during the 2003-04 school year, those nurses handled a total of 44,573 health room visits and dispensed 21,002 medications. McGuire said next year there will be a nurse in every WCS school.
• Approved personnel resignations and hirings, including the retirement of Ken Surber as director of career and technical education for the Career Center and three maternity leaves and a medical leave. They also approved existing positions: Marc Huffer as freshman football coach at WCHS; Doug Light as assistant freshman football coach; and eight varsity assistant or co-assistant football coaches: Will Shepherd, Dallas Browning, Dave Baugartner, Terry Rosenbarger, Steve Ferber, Steve Yarger, David Bailey and Bruce Barlow.
• Former board member Gordon Vanator spoke to the board about staff members who are allowed to take time from school to pursue advanced degrees and whose education expenses are paid at least partially by the school corporation. He said one elementary school principal was allowed to take time off school to to attend classes for a doctoral degree and is now pursuing a job in another school corporation.
He asked if people in similar cases must pay back the school corporation if they leave or if they must agree to stay a certain number of years if WCS pays for their "educational enrichment," and he was told "no" to both questions.
Board members are: president Craig Allebach, Larry Chamberlain, Gene England, Cathy Folk, James Folk, Mark Minatel and Ron Yeiter. [[In-content Ad]]
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Textbook costs will increase slightly next year for students in Warsaw Community Schools, the school board approved Monday.
Costs for high school and middle school students will vary according to classes. But elementary school textbook fees will be: kindergarten - $56; grade one - $97; grade two - $89; grade three - $94; grade four - $88; grade five - $98; and grade six - $99.
The board also heard from maintenance director Greg Schroeder that the renovation project for Lakeview Middle School ceilings will be canceled.
Schroeder said a contractor alleged collusion during the bidding process, charging that other contractors conspired to lock him out of the bidding.
School corporation attorneys said WCS did nothing wrong, Schroeder said, but because of the charges, there is no time now to re-bid the project and do the work before the next school year starts.
Board member Mark Minatel asked that the board be taken through the bidding process so they can better understand it in the future.
Parent Angela Fulton brought up the beheading video incident at the high school, saying her son was in the Warsaw Community High School class that watched the video of the beheading of American Nick Berg over the Internet. She said she wasn't officially notified of the May 14 incident until she received a letter a month later from principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield, expressing shock and dismay at the incident and offering two free counseling sessions at the Bowen Center.
Fulton asked the board if the substitute teacher who showed the video will be allowed to return to WCHS and superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire said he would not comment on personnel matters.
Fulton said she did not call the teacher by name, but wanted to know what had been done.
McGuire said, "Dr. Brumfield expressed regret that this happened, and I would like to echo that. ... We have taken steps to prevent a repeat, but we can't say what."
The board also:
• Heard that the filing period for board election begins July 21 and ends at noon Aug. 20. Paperwork for candidates can be picked up at the administration office, and petitions must be signed by at least 10 registered voters in the candidate's district and then filed with the Kosciusko County Clerk's office.
Seats currently held by board president Craig Allebach, Mark Minatel and Jim Folk are up for election.
Allebach said a seminar for prospective board members will be held Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., but the location has not yet been decided.
• Heard a report from assistant superintendent Sandra Hess that the adequate yearly progress, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act, is still short of corporation goals, especially in the special education classes.
"We're making progress, but we still not where we need to be," she said.
• Hess also reported on nurses for the school corporation. There are six school nurses for approximately 6,400 students, she said, and during the 2003-04 school year, those nurses handled a total of 44,573 health room visits and dispensed 21,002 medications. McGuire said next year there will be a nurse in every WCS school.
• Approved personnel resignations and hirings, including the retirement of Ken Surber as director of career and technical education for the Career Center and three maternity leaves and a medical leave. They also approved existing positions: Marc Huffer as freshman football coach at WCHS; Doug Light as assistant freshman football coach; and eight varsity assistant or co-assistant football coaches: Will Shepherd, Dallas Browning, Dave Baugartner, Terry Rosenbarger, Steve Ferber, Steve Yarger, David Bailey and Bruce Barlow.
• Former board member Gordon Vanator spoke to the board about staff members who are allowed to take time from school to pursue advanced degrees and whose education expenses are paid at least partially by the school corporation. He said one elementary school principal was allowed to take time off school to to attend classes for a doctoral degree and is now pursuing a job in another school corporation.
He asked if people in similar cases must pay back the school corporation if they leave or if they must agree to stay a certain number of years if WCS pays for their "educational enrichment," and he was told "no" to both questions.
Board members are: president Craig Allebach, Larry Chamberlain, Gene England, Cathy Folk, James Folk, Mark Minatel and Ron Yeiter. [[In-content Ad]]