Warsaw Community Schools Board of Trustees Monday night approved a new scholarship opportunity for WCS staff pursuing a post-baccalaureate degree in education, administration or other areas specific career.

The WCS Leadership Academy Board Scholarship will grant recipients up to $6,000 for an approved program through Western Governors University or another approved accredited university, according to a news release.

To be eligible for a scholarship, recipients must have a bachelor’s degree or higher; completed at least three years of education experience within WCS; have received evaluation of effective or highly effective for the past three years; be in good standing with the WCS district; be accepted into an education, administration or content specific master’s program; and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Scholarship recipients are eligible to renew the award annually for up to three years. The scholarship can be applied to tuition and/or books. Scholarships can not be applied to expenses retroactively.



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A seven-person committee will be established to select recipients of the WCS scholarship. The committee will serve a term of three years and will not work in any way directly for the school district. The committee will begin with three members, expanding through the addition of two additional members in its second year and two additional members during the third year.

In the news release, WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said in part, “Due to state changes in recent years, less teaching professionals are obtaining these degrees for higher teaching certifications or administrative degrees. As this need has been realized, the desire to create assistance both financially and through experiential means have been identified throughout our district.”

“The creation of these scholarships and current options, while not a fix for the greater concerns, provide a form of assistance to create a homegrown leadership academy,” Hoffert said.