BURKET — Tippecanoe Valley School Board heard an update on the alternative education program at Burket Educational Center (BEC) during a board meeting on Monday.
BEC teacher Micah Lukens said the center currently has 20 enrolled students, with 14 students graduating during the first semester. Students earned a total of 197 credits during the first semester at BEC.
"The purpose (of Burket Educational Center) is to provide a positive learning experience for students who have struggled in traditional settings, to provide an experience that's academically comprehensive and educationally sensitive to many learning styles," said Lukens.
Lukens said students have started studying skills needed for the SAT. They have also began sessions with a mental health therapist to utilize the "Why Try" curriculum.
"It's basically a way to make sense of the world around you," said Lukens.
Lukens also introduced the board to Mark Eastway, a pastor at Burket Bible Church representing LifeWise Academy. LifeWise works with public schools to integrate a Bible class into their weekly class schedule.
"Students are released during school hours to attend religious classes as long as it's off-campus," said Eastway. "Release time for religious instruction is legal in all 50 states as long as it meets three requirements: It's off school property, it's privately funded and parent-permitted."
Eastway said nine students are participating in LifeWise. They are tentatively looking at offering LifeWise to Mentone Elementary School students in the fall.
The board also:
• Approved the 2025-26 school calendar, with the first student day being Aug. 8.
• Recognized student Lucy Prater for her accomplishments at BEC.
• Recognized Byron Tinkey with a plaque for his 3-1/2 years of service to BEC as an instructional assistant.
• Approved the hiring of Brylee Kerr, Kora Slone and Jetta Hughes as instructional assistants.
• Approved the resignations of Tinkey, Courtney Pulsipher, Amanda Phenis and Rebecca Shull.
• Approved the retirement of Lynette Mauger, sixth- and seventh-grade English language arts teacher at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.
• Approved a $3,000 donation from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation Heart of Gold Endowment Fund in honor of school resource officer Shaun Mudd. The donation will go toward the Viking Vittles Program.
• Approved a $4,000 REMC Round-Up grant for the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation Boomerang Backpacks program.
The board's next meeting is at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.