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Leesburg Elementary will have a new principal in the fall, according to the unanimous approval of the Warsaw School Board Monday.
Marv Marino, principal of Frank H. Hammond Elementary School, Munster, was named to replace Lynn Simmers, who resigned as Leesburg principal, effective July 29.
In a process not often adopted by WCS when choosing principals, Marino was selected by a committee made up of administrators, teachers and parents. The committee reviewed all applicants for the position and recommended Marino, who was formerly a principal at South Whitley Elementary.
The board also approved advertising the proposed 2005 budget in preparation for the public hearing and budget adoption. The first publication will be Aug. 4; the second, Aug. 11; and the public hearing on the budget will be Aug. 16.
The proposed 2005 budget is $50,430,102, compared to the 2004 budget of $49,951,333, less than a 1 percent increase.
To help reduce at least part of the 2005 budget, the board approved WCS joining a natural gas purchasing cooperative, recommended by maintenance director Greg Schroeder.
Schroeder, who also will serve as the WCS representative to the co-op, said the estimated savings for the first year is at least $77,000 - "a conservative estimate."
He said 20 to 21 school corporations expressed interest in joining the cooperative, and it would be the third such purchasing co-op in the state. Wawasee Schools would be in the same cooperative.
In other business:
• Superintendent Dr. David McGuire reminded the board that three seats will be up for election in November - districts 3, 4 and 6, seats currently held by Mark Minatel, Craig Allebach and Jim Folk. Filing begins Wednesday and ends Aug. 20 at noon; petitions must be signed by at least 10, preferably 12, residents of each district and residents signing the petition must have lived in that district for at least two years. Packets for interested candidates are available from the administration building, and Allebach will offer a class Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. for anyone interested in becoming a board member.
• Zach Rooker, a Warsaw fifth-grader, gave his EdCom presentation on Pearl Harbor. Rooker gave the same presentation on Memorial Day weekend to Indiana World War II veterans and their families at Sen. Richard Lugar's office in Washington, D.C. Monday he received a standing ovation from the board and audience.
• Claypool Lions, represented by Melvin Konkle, expressed interest in buying the trophy cases, trophies and pictures at the Claypool Elementary School, which the board closed this spring. McGuire said he asked WCS attorney Max Reed to research how to dispose of the property so McGuire can advise the board, but that research is not completed.
• The board approved applying for a Title I grant of approximately $699,000. In the past, the Title I monies from the federal government were spread among the schools, but the No Child Left Behind Act specifies that the funds go to the schools with the highest number of students receiving free or reduced lunches. Those schools are Jefferson and Lincoln elementaries.
• Patron Angela Fulton, of Silver Lake, asked about times for elementary and high school days to begin and end, and whether or not elementary students from the areas with closed schools would have to wait longer for buses to return from taking high school students home.
McGuire said the bus routes "will not be run as they are now" and that no students will have to wait.
In response to another question from Fulton on whether or not all-day kindergarten will be offered, McGuire said no. "Now we don't have the funding for all-day kindergarten," he said.
Members of the school board are: Craig Allebach, Larry Chamberlain, Gene England, Cathy Folk, Jim Folk, Mark Minatel and Ron Yeiter. Chamberlain was absent Monday. The board meets at 7 p.m. in the administration building on the third Monday of each month.
