Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - Wawasee School Board held its first summer meeting Tuesday and approved required diploma changes and an extension of administration contracts.
Diploma changes include a new social studies requirement and a change in the way credits are awarded for physical education courses.
Students will be required to take a world history course in order to earn a Core 40 diploma. This class will replace modern world civilization, which currently is offered.
Shannon Fry, high school guidance counselor, said the changes impact the class of 2010, next year's freshman, and that 2007, 2008 and 2009 graduates are not affected.
Fry also told that board that soon the regular diploma will be phased out and that the class of 2010 is the last class eligible for it. Beginning with 2011 graduates, the Core 40 diploma will be standard.
P.E. classes now will count for one credit instead of the half credit students previously earned. This change increases the credit requirements for the regular diploma from 24 to 25.
School administrators' contracts were approved for a one- year extension.
Building principals are now under contract until 2008 and the superintendent until 2009.
Written into the new contract is a provision requiring administrators to pay any insurance premium increases out-of-pocket beginning in 2007. Superintendent Mark Stock said it is only fair for administrators to bear the cost of rising premiums to the same extent as school teachers and other staff.
In other business, Wawasee School Board:
• Approved the advertising of bids for a high school plumbing project. The project involves replacing mixing valves that control the water pressure and temperature.
The project will be advertised June 21 and a special meeting to hear bids is scheduled for June 27 at 5 p.m. at the administrative office.
• Heard a first reading of the corporation's proposed student wellness policy. The policy is required by law and is intended to help students make healthy eating and physical activity choices.
Some board members had a problem with the policy as presented. Brian Dawes felt it was too restrictive. He recommended that a line reading "Bringing outside drinks or commercially prepared/vendor-prepared foods onto school property during the school day for students is discouraged," be removed.
Board member George Gilbert took the opposite view and said the school should add more to the policy and help parents "cure the obesity problem" among young children.
Stock said he would revisit the policy before the next reading and that board members arguments' represented "two different philosophies," one seeing the school as a community leader and responsible for setting trends, the other seeing a school asÊreflection of the surrounding community and its values.
