Valley School Board Hears Concerns About Leaving TRC
Posted
Jackie Gorski-jgorski@timesuniononline.com
MENTONE – Parent Miriel McFarland approached the Tippecanoe Valley School Board Monday about its decision to leave the Three Rivers Conference.
The school corporation announced its decision to leave the conference at the beginning of the 2024 school year to become a founding member of a new six-team conference with Bremen, Jimtown, John Glenn, Knox and LaVille. Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation was notified in April the TRC had voted the school corporation out of the conference effective at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
McFarland said she is a parent of two young children and did have some concerns regarding leaving the conference. She said, in her point of view, changing conferences didn’t benefit the school corporation in terms of safety or academics.
She said driving an extra 10 or more miles each way would affect the students. Some students are on committees or have to get up early for things before school and she was concerned how it would affect them.
McFarland also asked what type of community input was involved in the decision.
Superintendent Blaine Conley said all of the head coaches were talked to and the school corporation felt it was a good choice for TVSC to change conferences. As far as her concerns, Conley said he feels Valley is more in line with the new schools in communicating with each other.
McFarland suggested maybe next time a decision like this was made, the community could be more involved as families are in the area for generations as she’s already talking about attending her grandchildrens’ games.
Earlier in the meeting, Akron Elementary School Principal Scott Sterk introduced Cameron Parker to the school board. The board approved Parker’s hiring as a special education teacher at Akron Elementary Monday. Parker is a Valley and Manchester University graduate and played football at Manchester. Sterk said he had four applicants for the position.
In other business, the board approved:
• The following donations: $523 from Jason Rich for Tippecanoe Valley High School lunch accounts, $1,809 from Freelap Pro Timing System for the Viking Booster Club and an anonymous donation of $11,700 for the boys’ basketball program.
• Grants for $11,500 from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation for “Let my Imagination Soar!” playground projects at Akron and Mentone elementary schools for youth with disabilities or limited abilities.
• The food service vendors for 2023-24.
• Approved revisions to the student, staff and athletic handbooks for 2023-24.
