The hearts of two people were highlighted at the Warsaw School Board meeting Monday night – one for her generosity to the school district, one for his dedication to students.

Kosciusko County Community Foundation Executive Director Suzie Light told the board about the financial gift from Janet Petro to the Warsaw Performing Arts Center, while WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert explained what Jefferson?Principal Kyle Carter did to make him an “unsung hero.”

Light said she got a call in late December from a community member who was in Florida asking what kind of charitable needs there are in the community. After a long conversation, Light said Petro loves the Warsaw PAC and her charitable dream was creating an endowment fund to benefit the Warsaw PAC. The fund will be facilitated by the Community Foundation.

Petro is still in Florida, but when she returns Light said there will be more publicity about Petro’s “generous gift.” The amount of the gift was not disclosed at this time.

An endowment is where the principle remains in place and annually a grant distribution is made from that endowment fund “forever,” Light explained. “Our goal is to preserve that endowment fund and grow it. You can help us with that by getting the word out to your other patrons that love the Performing Arts Center. That endowment fund is open to receiving contributions from other donors.”

Warsaw Schools does not have to apply to use the funds. Instead, money from the fund will be made available each year.

“We will ask you to report how you spent those funds. It might be general operation, it might be a capital project. We’ll ask you to report annually how those grant funds were used,” Light said.



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“I’m excited to tell you about this today. I’m excited that Mrs. Petro decided to share her generosity and her philanthropy with Warsaw Schools through the Community Foundation,” she said.

Heather Reichenbach, school board president, thanked the KCCF for its support.

“It is a community asset that we need to make sure community members are attending all the great things that you have. Not only the events that you have that celebrate the talents of your school children, but also the concerts and the events that come in. Warsaw is very blessed to have that facility here,” Light said.

Hoffert thanked Light and presented her with a certificate. One for Petro will be presented at a later time.

“We just want to thank you and the Community Foundation for everything you do for our schools because you do so much,” he told her.

The school board later approved the endowment fund.

Hoffert also presented an “unsung hero” award to Carter.

“We would not have known about this if it had not been for a teacher out of Jefferson, and she emailed (Chief Academic Officer Dr. David) Robertson and myself,” Hoffert said.

At the end of February, Kosciusko County was one of dozens of counties in the state that were flooded. At some of the mobile home developments locally, buses couldn’t get through the high flood waters.

“And there was a student back in one of those additions that has some disabilities that were going to keep him from coming to school. Mr. Carter drove his personal van, picked up the student, carried the student out of the house, went back in and got the service equipment the student needed as well, carried the service equipment out to his van and did it without telling anybody (but the boys’ parents),” Hoffert said.

Carter dropped the student off at the school like normal.

After school, a teacher noticed Carter’s wife coming in and picking up his kids at Jefferson. She wondered why Carter wasn’t taking his own kids home. The teacher learned Carter was taking the other student back to his home in the mobile home park that was flooded.

“That’s the kind of unsung hero that really matches our mission statement here at Warsaw Community Schools. And, Mr. Carter, while I know you did not do that to get recognition, we are proud of you and proud of your actions. Thank you so much,” Hoffert told him.

Hoffert also recognized Warsaw Community Schools Chief Financial Officer Dr. Brandon Penrod and Robertson.

“Both of these gentlemen earned their PhD over the last month and we are very proud of them and the hard work that has gone into it from Indiana State,” Hoffert explained in presenting them with certificates.

He thanked them for their hard work in earning the academic degrees.

“The knowledge and skills you gained through that program are being felt by Warsaw Community Schools,” Hoffert said.

The last recognition by Hoffert was to Lori Tilden, executive secretary to Hoffert and the school board. She has been at WCS for 17 years, with Monday’s meeting being her last. She is moving on to Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation.

“We’re just so thankful for everything you brought to the school corporation. I could go on for hours for everything you’ve done here at Warsaw Community Schools,” he told her before presenting her with a certificate of appreciation.