Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - With one donation being worth more than $25,000, the Wawasee Community School Corp. accepted two donations Tuesday at the regular board meeting.
The Dekko Foundation provided Milford School with a matching grant of $25,075 for Milford School's playground project. According to a letter from principal Cindy Kaiser to Superintendent Dr. Mark Stock, three Milford school teachers and one PTO parent completed the grant application for the school. Phases II and III of the project are expected to be completed sometime this spring.
A letter acknowledging the grant from program director Sharon Beckman from The Dekko Foundation states, "Your community is to be commended for working together on this community asset for children. ... Best wishes on a successful completion of your project."
The other donation was for $500 from Kosciusko Community Hospital, designated from Dr. Neal Van Ness. Van Ness, a KCH board of trustees member, is allowed to name a charity to receive this donation. For a second year, he named the Wawasee Athletic Department.
Van Ness is Wawasee's team physician. He is a general surgeon, practices at KCH and resides in the Wawasee school district.
The donation will be designated for athletic training needs.
The school board also reorganized for 2004.
A slate was prepared by 2003 board president Brian Dawes for the reorganization if all were in agreement. However, board secretary Marion Acton made a motion to approve Dallas Winchester as president and Brian Dawes as vice president instead of Dawes as president and Winchester as vice president, as per the slate. Board member Mary Louise Dixon seconded the motion. Dawes was not present at the meeting and Winchester abstained from voting. Voting in favor of the motion to elect Winchester as president were Dixon and Acton. Board member Jeff Wells opposed.
With a 2-to-1 vote, the board questioned if that was enough votes to approve the motion. Upon arrival, board attorney David Cates said, "Abstentions go with the majority," so the motion passed.
The rest of the slate of officers as approved include Marion Acton as secretary; Angie Higginbotham as recording secretary; and Cates as board attorney. Cates' contract for services also was approved.
The meeting time of the board was approved to be at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month except April, which will be the third Tuesday. Five meetings during the school year will be at school buildings, with seven at the administration building.
The board stipend was established at $2,000 per board member per year. The board of finance officers were approved as Wells as president and Dixon as secretary. Acton was appointed to the board of representatives to the vocational advisers' council.
Stock, director of finance Jim Evans, transportation director Bob Lahrman and assistant superintendent Russ Mikel were appointed as the administrators as the only board representatives to open sealed bids and receive quotes for school business.
In other business, the school board:
• Received a certificate from the Shrine Club for membership into the Shriners' $100 Million Club for their help and participation in sending third-graders to the Shrine Circus every year.
• Heard the annual performance report for Wawasee Schools will be published either Jan. 21 or 28.
Wawasee School board members are Brian Dawes, Dallas Winchester, Marion Acton, Jeff Wells and Mary Louise Dixon.
