PIERCETON - With the school year nearly complete, the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees heard a presentation on the first year of the Alternative and "Basic Skills" programs.

According to Alternative Program teacher Dale Gearheart, the program started Dec. 20. Currently, it has 25 total students. Students were either expelled from the high school or transfered from other schools. Twenty of the students are high school students, five are from the middle school.

"We've helped a few, had a few success stories," he said. "We felt this was a really good, positive thing to start."

Suggestions given for the program's improvement include limiting study hall students; no middle school students; prefer all day students or half day to part-timers; lunch in the room; and more visits by counselors or administration members.

Fred Fields, Whitko High School teacher, made a brief "Basic Skills" presentation, a class offered to WHS students during the first trimester.

The course is geared toward middle school students who may have problems in the high school. Fields said they want to get the students on the right track. The program started with 18 students and finished with 15. Two of the students who did not finish moved away.

Part of the class involves ISTEP preparedness; class work; vocabulary and reading improvement; a current events unit; resume creation; and presentations from guidance counselors and teachers.

Fields said he has seen some good results with the program and had a few disappointments. In the future, he suggested they look more closely at who is selected for the program.

"It was very positive (by the time) it was over," Fields said.

Asked if the Alternative Program was going to continue next year, Whitko Superintendent Dr. William Worl said it was being discussed. The school board will ultimately make that decision.

Valerie Warner, a parent, said she questioned placing those students in the elementary school. Her second grade son thinks it's pretty cool they're there and she doesn't want him to think that.

Gearhart said when students leave the classroom, even to the bathroom, they are escorted by staff. Contact with the elementary students is limited.

Warner then questioned the cost effectiveness of having two full-time teachers for 14 students. Worl responded by saying the program is being built to save kids, that's what schools are about.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved the 37 field trip requests as presented.

• Approved the teacher allocations and program changes for the 2002-03 school year as presented.

• Approved the D-Wing remodeling project as presented. Invoices will be paid by the Whitko Remodeling Building Corp.

• Approved the school improvement plans as presented. The plans will be submitted to the Indiana Department of Education by June 30.

• Approved the submission of a waiver for school improvement program days for the 2002-03 school year as presented. The early release dates will be Nov. 6, Feb. 11 and April 30 while the late arrival dates will be Oct. 3, March 24 and a date in December.

• Approved the Fall 2002 ISTEP+ Program include the criterion-referenced test and Test of Cognitive Skills.

• Approved bid advertisement for Whitko High School gym roof repair.

• Approved grant applications totaling $1,250; the receipt of grant monies totaling $1,875.

• Approved the acceptance of a donation of $2,947.24 in books for Pierceton Elementary School from the school's Parent-Teacher Organization and a donation of 40 soccer balls from Lances Newmarket, North Webster, for the Pierceton Elementary School physical education program.

• Approved an agreement with the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana to use school facilities to conduct Red Cross Disaster Services activities.

• Recognized the following Whitko students for receiving awards in a "Design an Ad" contest: Rebecca Morford, first place; Leah Winger, first place; David Penn, second place; Rebecca Jersey, third place; Donna Little, third place; and Phil Peters, honorable mention.

• Recognized Michelle Ball and Kathy Garber, Pierceton Elementary School teachers, for being nominated by a former student for Disney's American Teacher Awards which honors creativity in teaching.

• Recognized high school vocal music teacher Dawn Hinthorn for being named the Warsaw Wal-Mart 2002 teacher of the year. Meghan Hand, a WHS student, nominated Hinthorn for the award.

• Heard the high school graduation will be May 31; the fifth-grade recognition and DARE graduation at South Whitley Elementary School is today at 4:30 p.m.; and the sixth and seventh grade recognition at the Whitko Middle School is May 28 at 7 p.m. with the eighth grade recognition June 3.

Whitko Community School Corp. board of school trustees are Larry Long, Hal Trump, Deborah Collier, Dave Tranter and Michael Braddock. [[In-content Ad]]