Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BOURBON – Superintendent Jeremy Riffle updated the Triton School Board Monday on how the start of the school year went.
Riffle gave kudos to elementary school staff for doing the research and taking the risk to try a new schedule to benefit students.
“This year, Triton elementary students go to recess before coming in to lunch. It sounds so simple, but a change to the master calendar is difficult and it takes everyone working together, being flexible and being willing to have a good attitude when things are a little different than they have been for a long, long time,” he said.
He said cafeteria staff are feeding two classes at a time instead of one. He said he wished Triton had a baseline of the lack of food being wasted.
“I guess the common denominator out of this is (students) are going outside, they’re expending their energy, they’re building the appetite, they’re thirsty, so therefore, they come into the cafeteria, they eat more, they drink more, which we have seen definitely,” Riffle said.
He added school staff were able to triage the aftereffects of recess a little bit.
Elementary School Principal Melissa LaShure said everything has been going great and she has not heard any complaints. The change helps with supervision of students a little.
Riffle said the start of the year corporationwide was great.
The shared mission for the corporation is to make Triton uncommon, he said.
“So being uncommon, that means being uncommonly good in our mindset, our character, our relationship focus, our service-heartedness and uncommon in our daily actions. So in short, to be uncommon is to be the kind of person that others can count on, the kind that inspires, uplifts and who leaves a legacy,” Riffle said.
In other business, the board:
• Approved advertising the bus replacement plan and 2026 budget.
• Learned the enrollment at the start of the year was 907 students.
• Approved the resignation of David Seel as the band teacher; the retirement of Cathy Strycker as an elementary school teacher.
• Approved the hiring of Scott Bailey as a third-grade teacher, Rebecca Pollock as the band teacher, Janis Kaufman as an elementary second-shift custodian and Casey Yarbrough as an afternoon crossing guard.
