Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - This year's ISTEP testing in Indiana is right around the corner.
But problems with supervision and mass testing of the graduation qualifying exam at Wawasee High School have resulted in a change in the daily schedule from Sept. 16 to 25.
The Wawasee Community School Corp. board of trustees has adopted a new schedule to increase success on the examinations.
During the testing week, only 10th grade students and upperclassmen needing to retake any part of the test need to be in attendance until 10:30 a.m. each day. Regular classes will begin at 10:40 a.m. each day.
All other students should not arrive until between 10:25 and 10:35 a.m.
Bus transportation will not be provided for students who are not taking the test. Students who need to arrive before 10:25 a.m. who cannot find their own transportation will be provided with a supervised study area.
The test is being administered to all 10th grade students and 75 11th grade students who did not meet the standards last year.
"We really believe that this will make it an easier test period and not just for the students," Principal Alan Frank said.
The school board also held a hearing on the budget, capital project fund and the bus replacement plan. No members of the public attended with questions or comments. The public hearings were then closed. The budget will be adopted at the next meeting on Sept. 15.
A report on the current facility surveys was given by Superintendent Mark Stock.
Stock said that 13,000 surveys were mailed to addresses within the school corporation. An additional 13,000 were inserted in area newspapers. Local community organizations have held presentations where surveys were distributed.
Stock said 714 surveys were returned and 202 of those surveys were duplicates, anonymous or unreadable. The end of September is the last day for the surveys to be accepted.
"I think that we should be able to get another 100 or 200 in," Stock said.
The survey asked which of the three options proposed for school facilities could the person support.
Option 1 includes a new facility at North Webster and some renovations to Syracuse, Milford and Wawasee High School.
Option 2 includes renovation at North Webster on the existing site, some renovations to Syracuse, Milford and Wawasee High School, and the consolidation of grades six, seven and eight at Wawasee Middle School.
Option 3 includes renovation at North Webster on the existing site, some renovations to Syracuse, Milford and Wawasee High School and four general purpose classrooms at Milford.
The options were discussed along with an idea of taking pieces of the options and combining them.
The board also talked about finding out how other school corporations handled similar situations.
The conclusion of the meeting included the following personnel business:
• ESL/Migrant Director Jose Vazquez resigned and is moving from the area.
• Wawasee High School mathematics teacher Jerry Hawkins resigned. Hawkins has accepted a position in another school corporation.
• Tonya Haywood will be on maternity leave from Jan. 4 to May 14.
• Stephanie Szynal was hired on a regular teaching contract to teach mathematics at WHS, replacing Hawkins.
• Scott Singleton was hired on a temporary contract as a guidance counselor at Syracuse School.
• Nancy Nelson will teach the adult education GED class from Sept. 29 to Jan. 14.
