Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - Thomas Tumey has been hired as director of instruction of the Wawasee School Corp.
Tumey, who comes to Wawasee from Goshen High School, was unanimously approved for the position by the school board Tuesday.
Tumey began his career in education at Kokomo High School, where he was a teacher from 1977 to 1980. He was assistant basketball coach at Pomona (Calif.) College from 1980 to 1983, and taught at Columbia City High School from 1983 to 1989. He became assistant principal at Goshen High School in 1989, and advanced to the principal's position in 1991.
He graduated from Indiana University in 1977 with a bachelor of science in physical education. He obtained his master of science in education/administrative license in 1986 from Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne.
Tumey was hired on a two-year contract for $71,000 a year. He will officially begin his position with the corporation July 14.
Also during the meeting, Superintendent Mark Stock read the first draft of the corporation's "Community View of Schooling, Mission, Beliefs and Exit Goals." The statement is based on input from community discussion groups, which included more than 400 people from 14 community organizations.
The statement will be officially adopted by the corporation after two more readings. Copies will be mailed to the 14 organizations for review and possible input; the statement is also available in the administration office for the public to review.
The statement includes the belief that Wawasee should stress reading, writing and arithmetic in kindergarten through grade 10; that emphasis should shift to preparing students for the workforce in grades 11 and 12; and that the corporation should reach out to churches, business and other groups to help students with personal needs.
In other business, the board:
• Accepted the resignation, effective Tuesday, of teacher Charles Packer. Packer, of North Webster, was recently arrested on a charge of public indecency.
• Approved textbook rental rates for the 1997-98 school year as follows: kindergarten, $42.80; readiness, $51.85; grade one, $87.50; grade two, $80.95; grade three, $88.80; grade four, $74.25; grade five, $67.65; grade six, $89.75; grade seven, $92.80; grade eight, $91.45.
