SYRACUSE - The Wawasee Community School Corporation opened its first board meeting of 2010 with the acceptance of several donations.
The school corporation will share a Learning Technologies Grant in partnership with West Noble. This grant will provide new equipment similar to smart boards to the district's secondary math teachers.
The Wawasee Athletic Department received $500 from the Kosciusko Community Hospital, designated from the hospital's board of trustees in memory of Dr. Neal Van Ness. Dr. Van Ness passed away Dec. 9, and had served as Wawasee's team physician since 1998.
A Jacob Haneline Memorial donation of $1,000 was also received. Kohl's Department Stores donated $500 to the WHS Choral Department, with the Knights of Columbus in Syracuse also donating $825 on Oct. 29 and $1,500 on Nov. 25 to the choral department as well.
Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington introduced information to the board concerning budget shortfalls that will be affecting every school corporation in the state. Although school budgets were expected to be cut 3 percent, in actuality the cuts amounted to 4.55 percent. Edington presented a Citizens' Checklist outlining possible monetary adjustments, program adjustments, adjustments designed to reduce the cost of staff without affecting instruction, and community reporting and accountability. this is only a checklist designed to find out what areas the board, the administration, and the teacher's association agree or disagree upon when deciding which cost reductions to make.
A somewhat more comprehensive list of cost savings/cutting strategies was also provided, courtesy of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials. According to the association: "On a state-wide average, 90 percent of the expenditures for the general fund are for salaries and related fringe benefits. therefore, the 2010 reduction of state support will necessitate the cutting of school personnel in many districts."
Included in their suggested listed of potential cost cutting suggestions are: freeze salaries for non-contracted employees; review central office and school support positions; freeze on hiring administrative personnel; review primetime aides and other instructional aides; review state health insurance plan for potential savings; create a paperless school environment; study custodial cleaning ratio; review extra curricular activities that are tied to general fund; electronic funds transfer for payroll/paperless payroll; sale of unused buildings. (This is only a partial list of suggestions. For more information, go the Wawasee web site at www.wawasee.k12.in.us and click on Wawascene to read blog entries regarding the Citizens' Checklist.)
Edington also provided a brief update on the American Recovery and Reimbursement Act (ARRA) federal audit report. The ARRA is the federal stimulus program and the audit was simply to see how the state was giving direction on its use and implementation to the school systems involved.
Wawasee is in fine shape, Edington said. "However," he added, "... we are now in a position where we have to put everything out on the table. Nothing is firm yet, but we have to start looking at everything we can because of the budget."
In personnel matters, the board approved the employment of the following individuals: Sandra Clark as a 2-hour food service worker at North Webster Elementary School; Anne Richey as a 3-hour highly qualified Title 1 Paraprofessional.
Individuals who have transferred to other positions are: Susan Boyle, to a 5-hour highly qualified Title 1 Paraprofessional from a 3-hour Title 1 Paraprofessional position at North Webster Elementary School. Angela Reiff has transferred from a 2-hour food service worker to a 5.5-hour food service worker at North Webster Elementary School.
Rhoda Wright has transferred from a Prime Time Paraprofessional position to a school year custodian at North Webster elementary School. Hohnnie Fick has transferred from a special education paraprofessional to the position of temporary FACS teacher at WHS.
In other business:
n The board granted approval for the WHS band to take a bus trip to Florida's Disney World. This trip will be over Christmas break.
n WHS Choir trip to Cedar Point has been approved for the end of this school year.
n The board appointed Fey Medlock to the Syracuse Public Library Board.
n Board approval of the WCEA provision to be included in the Race To The Top application was granted. The teacher's association had asked that when the grant is depleted the original language in their contract will be reinstated.
n The first reading of the registered Sexual Predators on School Property Policy was conducted. Board attorney David Cates presented language that has been successfully used in other districts to implement such a policy. Final approval will come at a later date.
