The Warsaw Community High School graduation rate for the class of 2025 is expected to be around the same as the last two years.
Tim Devlin, assistant principal at WCHS, told the Warsaw School Board on Monday that they anticipate there will be a 96% graduation rate for the class of 2025. In 2021, the graduation rate was 90%; in 2022, 96%; 2023, 96%; and 2024, 98.1%.
In 2024, the federal graduation rate was 88.7% and the state graduation rate was 90.2%. So WCS is above that, he said. In Indiana, about 38% of students receive an honors diploma. WCS is on track for 47% of students to receive honors diplomas.
Sarah Roberts, counselor at WCHS, said there are three areas students have to fulfill in order to graduate: credits, employability skills and postsecondary-ready competencies.
With credits, students currently have to have 40 credits in order to graduate.
Indiana wants to make sure students are ready to be employable after graduation, whether they go straight to work or get extra training, Roberts said. Employability skills students need include AP classes and work-based learning.
For postsecondary-ready competencies, students can meet the requirement by earning an academic or technical honors diploma or doing a federally-recognized apprenticeship, among other things.
This year, 242 students will receive an honors diploma. Also, 203 students will complete a CTE pathway, 120 students met the requirements to use their SAT scores for the competency standard, and 28 students completed three AP courses with a C- average for the postsecondary-ready competencies component of graduation requirements.
For the class of 2029, there will be some potential changes to graduation requirements, Devlin said.
The first change Devlin covered was the credits in English. Currently, students need eight credits in English. Students will continue to need eight credits, but within those credits, a one-hour communications-focused course will be included.
Also, the physical education/health requirement will drop from three credits to two.
Students are currently required to take a personal finance class, he said. Starting with the class of 2029, students will have to take, as well as pass, the personal finance class.
Instead of five directed electives credits and six personalized elective credits, WCS is planning on putting them in the same bucket and requiring 12 personalized elective credits.
In total, students will be required to have 42 credits in order to graduate instead of 40.
Tracy Horrell, assistant superintendent of secondary education, said the school corporation hasn’t received a lot of guidance from the state yet. Devlin said WCS hopes to have more state guidance about possible graduation requirements as time goes on.
Earlier in the meeting, Dr. Julia Porter, co-facilitator for Girls Who Code at Washington STEM Academy, talked about the club at the school.
Porter said a couple years ago, one of her colleagues approached her about bringing the club to Washington.
Girls Who Code has a mission to close the gender gap in technology and computing by educating and equipping girls with computing skills and inspiring girls to pursue 21st-century opportunities.
Porter said Girls Who Code train girls for jobs that don’t exist yet. The club is also trying change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. The way Girls Who Code does this is by reading about underrepresented women in STEM, participating in bonding activities, building coding skils through robotics and scratch, listening to guest speakers and learning about careers in STEM.
In 1993, 37% of computer scientists were women. Currently, 24% of computer scientists are women. About 10% of women of color pursue computer science degrees. In 2020, women made up 28% of those in computer and mathematical careers, she said.
In other business, the board:
• Celebrated the accomplishments of 20 individuals who have recently completed advanced education programs. The staff members were recognized for their hard work and perseverance in earning their degrees, with 19 of them receiving WCS scholarships that covered their tuition and books.
Eleven WCS team members received scholarships to complete their Master of Education in School Administration and Supervision from Indiana State University: Harrison Elementary School, Erin Kelly; Leesburg Elementary: Sara Ervin, Julian Luna; Lincoln Elementary: Hilary Stouder, Catherine Cavanaugh; Washington: Bethany Anderson, Emily Stiers; WCHS: Courtney Walters, David Knouse; central office: Kelly Meeks, Crystal Kreider.
Additionally, eight WCS staff members received scholarships to pursue their Transition to Teaching programs through Grace College over the past 18 months. They were Claypool Elementary, Zach Hill; Eisenhower Elementary, Yasmin Juarez, Yahaira Pagan, Saida Hemsoth; Leesburg, Katie Wonderly; Washington, Juveria Azher, Chris Banks, Miriam Fabiola Nunez.
Over the past seven or eight years, Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said about 150 staff members have received their masters degree through the scholarship program.
Board President Heather Reichenbach was also recognized for recently completing her Master of Public Administration and Policy from American University. Hoffert said Reichenbach didn’t go through the scholarship program WCS offers and did it on her own.
• Approved receiving a $247,500 grant from the Kosciusko County Health Board for the Heath First Indiana grant.
The grant has already been approved by the Kosciusko County Commissioners, but has to go in front of the Kosciusko County Health Board in April for approval.
Hoffert said the grant covers the Welcome Clinic, Step 1 and some physical education components.