Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MENTONE - After much discussion the past month between Tippecanoe Valley High School vocational agriculture teacher Lisa Paxton, school board members and community members, the school board decided Monday to keep Paxton's contract at 240 days for the next year.
A public hearing was held April 30 to give Paxton a chance to speak to school board members regarding the possible reduction from a 240-day contract to a 195-day contract.
Superintendent Karen Boling said the reduction was being considered due to the state budget projection she received about a month ago from the Senate, indicating new money received would be 1 percent. She said at the public hearing in April, board members became concerned with funding.
But after much opposal from Paxton, FFA members, parents and patrons, the school board decided Monday to keep Paxton's contract the same for another year.
"I feel like it takes more than 195 days," Paxton said last month. She also said dropping the days to 215 for one year would be better than the 195-day-contract.
Paxton said Monday she regretted suggesting 215 days for her contract. She said she didn't realize she was making a negotiation.
"Two hundred and fifteen days does not make me happy because you're taking away from those people right there," Paxton said as she pointed to a group of FFA students who attended the meeting Monday to support Paxton.
"I said 240 days but I was told that was no kind of negotiation. But 240 days is what it takes to run the program," Paxton said. "The reduction down to 215 days - it's just not at all fair to the students."
"The feeling is we're not supporting ag. The fact is, Lisa's going to be teaching every ag class (this year) that she has been (in the past). The FFA is going to suffer (from the reduction)," board member Mark Wise said. "I guess we're stuck here. We see the budget part of it - the tax rate."
After much discussion, board members approved keeping Paxton's contract at 240 days for the next year.
Shelly Walgamuth, Manchester High School teacher, former TVHS teacher and parent of a TVHS student, addressed the board Monday regarding her daughter's absence from school on April 20.
Boling said a student started a rumor that two other students were going to bring a gun to school on April 20. Nearly 200 students missed school that day. TVHS Principal Charlie Mills said on a normal day, approximately 25 to 30 students may miss school.
Walgamuth said her daughter's absence was ruled as an unexcused absence and she was not allowed to make up homework from that day, even though she called the school and told them she was keeping her daughter home due to the possibility of a gun being brought to school.
She asked board members to investigate the school's attendance policy regarding her daughter's and several other student's absences on April 20.
"It's not just my daughter I'm concerned about," Walgamuth said. She said not allowing the students to make up their homework could mean a difference in passing or failing a class for some students. She also said the missed homework hurt her daughter's grade and grade point average.
"My daughter was punished because I called in and told the truth," Walgamuth said.
She also said the student handbook does not discuss unexcused absences and she didn't understand why homework was not allowed to be made up since she called in for her daughter. If a parent called in and lied, telling the school their child was sick, then they would be allowed to make up their homework, she said.
Walgamuth asked board members to follow the student handbook and investigate the attendance policy.
School Board President Rod Eaton said the board would look into the attendence policy and make sure one of the board members contacted her regarding her concerns.
In other business:
• School board member recognized the following: Akron Pride Council for being chosen as an Indiana Association of Student Council's Honor Council for the fourth consecutive year; all Tippecanoe Valley schools for receiving accreditation by the North Central Association for the 2000-2001 school year; Pam McFarland for being the recipient of the Heart of Gold award presented by the Kosciusko County Foundation; Angie Miller, Patti Newman and Joyce Krieger for being nominated for Disney's American Teacher Award; Deb Day, TVHS teacher, for being awarded Discovery Station equipment for the classroom sponsored by Internet Education Concepts Inc.; Alaina Lackey, Burket Elementary, for being selected as the Opportunity Cost Economics poster contest winner; Pam McFarland, Debb Lee, Patti Newman, Dianne Pearson and Brett Boggs for receiving the Innovation Sustainer Award for 2001; and Christi Rudd for serving two years on the school board as a student liason member.
• Upcoming school board meetings are scheduled for June 11 and July 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Mentone Elementary School. A Capital Project Fund budget workshop is set for June 4 at 7:30 p.m. at MES and a builder's trade open house is May 20 from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Tippecanoe Valley School Board members are: president Rod Eaton, David O'Brien, Hal Hoffman, Tom Weaver and Mark Wise. Superintendent is Dr. Karen Boling.
