Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE — Wawasee Community School Corporation Board of Trustees recognized student achievement, approved several administrative items and heard updates on transportation technology and career education programs during its regular meeting Tuesday.
A large portion of the evening focused on this year’s Turn Around Achievement Award recipients, which honors one student each from grades five, eight and 12 who demonstrated improvement in academics, attendance, behavior or attitude.
The 2025-26 recipients were Carmella Moreno, Milford Elementary; Kaylynn Lindley, North Webster Elementary; Liam Lees, Syracuse Elementary; Kira Lyn Williams, Wawasee Middle School; and Colin Fiedeke, Wawasee High School.
North Webster Elementary Principal Lee Snider praised Lindley’s personal growth and emotional maturity during his remarks to the board.
“You are trying so hard to keep your emotions under control. You’re trying so hard to do things on your own and … listen to teachers,” Snider said. “You care about other people and you want to be a good friend.”
At the high school level, Principal Geoff Walmer described Fiedeke’s academic turnaround after difficult personal circumstances affected his early years of high school.
“After his sophomore year, he said, ‘I want to change. I want to be different,’” Walmer said. “Now he is going to Purdue to study engineering.”
The board also highlighted Wawasee High School students who participated in the Kosciusko Student Venture Challenge, an entrepreneurship program pairing students with local business mentors. Math teacher Chad Hoffert said students attended monthly sessions in Warsaw to develop business ideas and pitch them to judges.
Students involved included Max Taylor and Preston Scherer with Iconix Media, Zach Kryder with KH PowerWashing, Reese Beasley with Reese B Baking, Carson Scherer with Dock Side Movers and Jack Schoemaker with Boat Uber. Four students earned gold ratings and two earned bronze ratings in the competition.
Kryder told the board the experience allowed him to hear directly from regional business leaders and apply those lessons to his own work.
“It really helps me with my power washing stuff,” Kryder said. “How can I put that in my business and how can I learn about business?”
During patron comments, Curt Hursey updated the board on the district’s Building Trades program banquet and scholarship efforts. Hursey said the program awarded a $2,500 scholarship to Addison Hatfield and recognized Zaid Rolston as its outstanding student. He also praised retiring instructor Ed Waltz and incoming instructor Josh Gunkel.
“We were able to get Josh Gunkel in as our new instructor, and Ed worked with Josh,” Hursey said. “He’s got big shoes to fill with Ed leaving.”
Hursey encouraged community members to visit the upcoming open house from 3 to 6 p.m. May 28 at 12111 N. Hamill Court, Milford.
"See what these students were able to do," Hursey said. "They took a pile of material in a hole, put a house in it."
Board members later approved adoption of the Transfinder transportation software system. Transportation Director Jeff Drumm said the program would improve communication with Skyward and reduce delays in routing updates.
“The software is more user-friendly,” Drumm said. “It communicates better with Skyward than what we already use now. It’s just more efficient.”
Other items approved during the meeting included creation of a new sixth- through 12th-grade assistant athletic director position, permission for the Performing Arts Center task group to begin forming a nonprofit organization, updates to district policies and an agreement for mental health therapy supervision services.
Board members also heard updates on summer learning programs, teacher residency partnerships and recent student accomplishments in welding and engineering competitions.
The WHS Supermileage Team placed first at the 2026 Shell Eco-Marathon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway against 57 institutions from seven countries.
The Wawasee School Board will next meet for a work session at 5:30 p.m. June 1 at the Wawasee Professional Learning Center, 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse.
