Warsaw Community Schools has a new chief technology officer, enrollment is up and its 2013 budget will be advertised.
During the Warsaw School Board meeting Monday night, the board approved Brad Hagg as the CTO for WCS, effective Sept. 4. His salary will be $85,000.
Hagg currently is the technology director for Tippecanoe Valley School Corp.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said, “We feel extremely fortunate to have this moment tonight. We have a lot going on in technology and we feel very fortunate Brad applied.”
Hagg is a 1990 Warsaw Community High School graduate. He is married to Aimee, and they have two children.
In speaking to the board, Hagg said 13 years ago he attended his first basketball game after accepting a position at TVSC. Tippecanoe Valley played against Warsaw.
Times-Union photographer Gary Nieter handed him a button, Hagg said. It was half green and half orange. It represented a conflict for Hagg, his loyalties torn between his job at Valley and his alma mater.
Hagg told the board last night, however, that it was an honor to turn all orange for his new job with WCS. He attended Warsaw schools from kindergarten to graduation.
He was sad to leave Valley, Hagg said, as it’s a great school corporation with great people, but he was really looking forward “to returning home.”
In the first 11 days of school, enrollment at WCS is up compared to the same time last year, according to Hintz.
Hintz gave his first enrollment report of the 2012-13 school year Monday.
Total enrollment at WCS is 7,116 students. That number will change somewhat over the course of the next few weeks. Student count day is in September for the state. The state provides funding to school corporations based on the number of students that attend.
The number of students at each school are: Claypool, 353; Eisenhower, 468; Harrison, 580; Jefferson, 542; Leesburg, 465; Lincoln, 467; Madison, 509; Washington STEM Academy, 447; Edgewood Middle School, 559; Lakeview Middle School, 519; and Warsaw Community High School and Area Career Center, 2,207.
The average district class size for all eight of the elementary schools are: kindergarten, 21.7 students; first grade, 22; second grade, 20.8; third grade, 20.9; fourth grade, 22.3; fifth grade, 26.2; and sixth grade, 27. The total district average class size is 22.8 students per class for the elementary schools.
Hintz said he hoped the 7,116 total enrollment will continue to increase, but “time will tell.” He will report back to the board at its September meeting on enrollment figures.
Dan Robinson, board member, then provided Hintz with enrollment figures from Nov. 30, 2000, that he had with him. WCS total enrollment then was 6,300 students.
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott asked the board for permission to publish the 2013 budget, which the board approved.
The publication of notices to taxpayers for the 2013 budget will be published twice in the Times-Union, today and a week from today. The budget hearing is set for 4 p.m. Sept. 7, with the budget adoption scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 17.
The total budget is $70,800,618. It includes seven funds.
The general fund is the largest of the funds and totals $46,621,761. The other funds and their totals are: debt service fund, $8,782,570; retirement/severance bond debt, $546,495; capital projects fund, $9,262,630; school transportation fund, $3,127,162; bus replacement fund, $960,000; and rainy day fund, $1.5 million.
Jennifer Tandy, board president, recognized the school board candidates for the fall 2012 election.
District 3 candidate is Curt Hermann. The seat currently is held by Dan Robinson, who can not run for re-election due to term limits.
District 4 candidates are Randy Polston and Christie Gale. Gale replaced Kent Adams earlier this year after Adams resigned to become the clerk-treasurer of Winona Lake.
District 6 candidate is Jay Baumgartner. The seat currently is held by Deb Wiggins, who cannot run for re-election due to term limits.
In other business, the school board:
– Heard from Hintz that Edgewood Middle School teacher Tyler Baatz is currently on suspension without pay until the matter is resolved.
Baatz was jailed Aug. 21 for sexual misconduct with a minor after admitting to inappropriate sexual activity in the past three weeks with a female 14-year-old former student.
– Approved support wage increases based on revised starting wage rates that were recommended by the board at the June 25 meeting. The wage increases were effective July 1.
– Announced the board’s annual evaluation of the superintendent was complete and Hintz is doing a fine job. He completed his third year with WCS in July.
Hintz’s annual salary is $139,000.
– Approved a United Way grant for $16,000 to help fund the Claypool Early Learning Center.
– Heard from Warsaw Community High School Student Body President Jeanette Sanchez that the theme of homecoming this year is “Apps.” Homecoming is Sept. 21, with the homecoming dance Sept. 15.
– Recognized former WCS Superintendent Dr. Lee Harman for his “loyal dedication to Warsaw Community Schools from 1966 to 2002.”
– Recognized WCHS teacher Tanya Kemptom for biking 3,978 miles this summer, raising more than $10,000 with her group for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society.
– Heard that the next board work session is Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. in the board room. Jamie Lake, of Kovert Hawkins, will be present to give the results of the facility feasibility study.
