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SYRACUSE - All schools will open next Wednesday on schedule, Wawasee Community School Corp. Superintendent Mark Stock told the board at Tuesday's meeting in the Administration Building.
He asked board members to remain available in case an emergency meeting is needed Tuesday to choose options for Syracuse Elementary School, which has been undergoing extensive remodeling since May.
"Shiny floors will not be a reality and neither will accessories such as a cafeteria and computer room, but I think we will have safe, 'occupyable' classrooms ready for quality academic time," Stock said.
He added that school would begin so long as a safe environment with a workable communication system and classroom space with desks, books and lights are ready.
He also expects Syracuse students will need to brown-bag it for quite some time, probably until the end of September, "much in the same manner that we closed last school year."
The high school will open without a pool or auditorium, but with nearly everything in good working order. The pool is expected to be ready by October and the auditorium by November. Outdoors, the new soccer field may need a few weeks to settle in, but should be ready for action by the end of September. In the meantime the practice field will be used.
Stock explained that workmen are on 10-hour days and weekends. "Things are tight and the dominoes must fall, but I am confident they will," he said.
As students and parents showed up at schools to register for classes yesterday, Syracuse Elementary students and parents did so at Calvary United Methodist Church.
Construction of North Webster Elementary School is "about on target," Stock said. It is scheduled to open late this fall.
The board also discussed Public Law 221, which sets benchmarks, assessments and accountability for schools. Effective this year, it will affect not only curriculum development but also accreditation.
The law requires that each school be involved in accreditation and have an approved plan. Stock believes this should be accomplished as a system and not as individual schools.
"We should work together as a whole system to improve learning. Our main goal must be district-wide accreditation," he said.
He proposed to the board that WCSC look into joining the North Central Association, an accrediting group used by the majority of schools in the Midwest.
In answer to board questions he explained that it will cost from $400 - $600 per school per year; that it will have to be done annually for the state, but the NCA process takes five years; that is a pass/fail; and that elementary schools are held accountable for what happens in the middle schools and the middle schools are held accountable for what happens in the high school.
He said if there is no improvement in three years, the board would be required to take action. And if there is no improvement in five years, the board will be required to call a public hearing. It may have to hire outside help or even merge schools to share strengths.
Stock also reported that the district is nearly fully staffed. "We still need a speech and language pathologist and one maternity leave replacement," he said.
In other action the board gave the go-ahead to apply to Milford, North Webster and Syracuse for annexation of school property into the towns. The town councils are expected to receive the school petitions within the month.
And, after the third reading, it passed the Pest Control Policy, a copy of which is available to every parent upon request.
