Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - Homecoming will not be the same at Manchester High School this year.
No bonfire.
No cookout.
No dodgeball.
No powderpuff football.
All thanks to students who allegedly vandalized vehicles in the school parking lot as well as homes in town.
Tuesday night at the school board meeting, Manchester Junior-Senior High School Principal Nancy Alspaugh explained why she canceled all Tuesday and Wednesday night homecoming activities at the school.
"I'm not going to provide an excuse for students to be out vandalizing ...," Alspaugh said.
Alspaugh also told the school board about incidents of vandalism in the school parking lot, including Friday night when the football team returned from an away game to find their cars "soaped and waxed."
She added that some students' vehicles were vandalized at their homes while parked inside garages. Monday night after a volleyball game, local residents also reported patio furniture and flower pots damaged and broken.
While all the incidents could not be linked to students, Alspaugh decided to try to do what she could to eliminate such occurrences.
"I was concerned about punishing the majority for the actions of a few," said Alspaugh. "But unfortunately, it was not just a small group acting.
"It is unfortunate, but I felt I needed to do it. ... We are concerned about the safety of students and personal property. ... We just can't have these things going on."
As of Tuesday night, the homecoming parade, football game and dance were still planned. However, if the acts of vandalism continue, those events may be canceled as well.
"We don't want to cancel homecoming," said superintendent Diana Showalter. "But if this behavior continues, we won't play football Friday night."
In other business, the board:
• Approved a motion to declare gymnastic equipment currently stored at MHS obsolete so the equipment can be sold or donated. The equipment has not been used since the school discontinued the gymnastics program.
• Approved a motion to accept a $100 donation from the Manchester High School Class of 1965 to the MHS Media Center.
• Approved an application for a $3,200 grant from the Community Foundation of Wabash for the Math After School Hours math remediation program.
• Accepted two grants. The first is from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Safe Haven Program for $487.56. The second is from the Indiana Department of Education ESEA 2005-06 Title 1 grant for $157,670.67.
• Approved Sunday building rental for the Manchester Youth Sports Association and Manchester Area Programs for nine Sundays for girls biddy basketball.
• Approved hiring Denny Craft as boys and girls basketball coach at Laketon Elementary and Theresa Smith as an instructional assistant at Manchester Elementary School.
• Approved professional leave requests for Debra Kern to attend the Indiana State Art Education Conference Nov. 4-5 in Indianapolis, and M.A. Hire to attend the 2005 Indiana School Nurse Conference Nov. 1-3 in Indianapolis.
Manchester school board members are Sally Krouse, president, Todd Speicher, Thom Frantz, Kent Terrill, Brian Schilling, and Carlye McLaughlin. Steve Flack was not present at the meeting. Superintendent is Diana Showalter.
