Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Enrollment in Warsaw Community High School continues to rise, and staffing may be lagging behind, the Warsaw School Board was told Monday.
This year's senior class is 385 students, said school superintendent Dr. Lee Harman, but there are 497 eighth graders coming into the high school next year.
"At the high school we've grown about 181 students and we haven't added staff," Harman said.
Enrollment figures Monday showed a total of 6,263 students in all Warsaw schools, 69 more than a year ago, he said.
To help the school board plan for future changes, the board approved a demographic study of the area that will begin this spring and end next fall.
The demographic study will cost $5,250 and will be done by Gann-McKibben. It will look at each "attendance center" and project population changes and "pockets where growth is anticipated."
For example, Harman said, a new housing addition in Claypool is expected to add students to an already overcrowded elementary school.
The demographic study will look at the entire school corporation and help administrators plan for fluctuations in student attendance.
"We need to get this information in order to make good decisions for the future," Harman said.
He said he expects staffing at the high school will need to be increased, and middle schools and elementaries also are being assessed in terms of staff needs.
Tony Etienne, assistant superintendent, told the school board that the program, "Building a bridge that connects scores to instruction" was developed to help classroom teachers use the ISTEP+ scores to modify and enhance curriculum.
For example, Etienne said, the scores were examined for each school in the district to "find out where our strengths and weaknesses are." It was discovered that "language in use" scored high for most grades, but writing development was low across the entire corporation.
"So that's something we need to work on," Etienne said. "We need to understand that writing is a continual process that's done in all classes. ... We need to make sure the essential core of skills is consistent across the school corporation."
The board also heard from students at the Alternative Learning Center, where classes are offered for English as a second language, GED or high school equivalency, literacy, alternative high school, day treatment for emotionally handicapped, and help for full-time high school students who need supplemental tutoring.
A native of Cambodia told of going to the ALC to learn English and thanked the board for the opportunity. Another student, Ed Lozano, 39, said he is going to the ALC to work toward his high school diploma.
In the most moving testimonial, Tom Hire read to the board a report he wrote on how he has gone to the ALC for 2-1/2 years to learn to read and spell.
"Spelling is still hard but I can do it," he said. "I can read to my grandchildren out loud and I'm writing my own checks."
Jennifer Brumfield, assistant principal at WCHS, said later in the meeting that in her more than 20 years in education, Hire's report was the most moving she ever heard.
"He proved that (learning to read) is not something to be ashamed of," she said. "The power that he exhibited tonight was truly amazing."
Harman also announced that one of the board members for Warsaw Community Public Library that is appointed by the school board is resigning because he is moving to Chicago.
His term runs through September 2000, Harman said, and the board needs to appoint a replacement immediately.
Harman's office will accept letters of intent until April 29; the board will interview applicants for the position in a special meeting on May 4, and the appointment will be made at the board's regular meeting on May 11.
In other business, the board approved the secondary reading list; summer school curriculum; and the 1998-99 school year calendar. School will begin next year on Aug. 18 and end on June 3.
The next meeting is at 7 p.m. May 11 in the administration building.
