Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Officially, the student count at Warsaw Schools as of Friday is 7,028, an increase of 200 since the 2005-06 school-year fall count.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth said at the school board meeting Monday that Sept. 15 was the official student count day as required by law.
During the first few weeks of school, Warsaw Schools had headcounts of up to 450 new students. However, Haworth said students were counted that the school corporation does not get to count for official enrollment, including Early Childhood students and vocational students from other schools. Some students moved from one building to another but were counted in both.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandra Hess gave a report on the high school's Scholastic Assessment Test and American College Testing scores.
SAT is 3 hours, 45 minutes of testing that measures critical reading, writing and mathematical reasoning skills. The SAT has 10 sections, now including a 25-minute essay.
On average students answer only 50 to 60 percent of the questions correctly, said Hess. Almost all students are able to complete 80 percent of the test in the given time. This year, she said there was a nationwide 7 point decline in test scores.
For the 2005-06 school year, 272 WCHS students took the SAT, 46 students took the ACT.
For the 2005-06 year, in SAT verbal, the national average score was 503, but WCHS students averaged 506. The state average was not available. In 2004-05, the national verbal average was 508, the state average was 504, and the WCHS average was 508.
For math, the national average in 2005-06 was 518 while WCHS's average was 523. The prior year, 2004-05, the national math average was 520, the state average was 508 and WCHS's average was 518.
"We feel very, very good about that," said Hess. In math, Hess said, she was told WCHS is in the top 12 percent of schools in Indiana.
ACT is a set of curriculum-based tests in the areas of English, math, reading and science designed to measure skills needed for success in the first year of college.
For ACT, Warsaw students scored 89 percent in English composition, compared to 72 percent for the state. Other scores included: algebra, 65 percent WCHS, 48 percent state; social sciences, 72 percent WCHS, 57 percent state; biology, 41 percent WCHS, 30 percent state; and meeting all four, 37 percent WCHS, 24 percent state.
Several changes in staffing were approved.
Lin Palmer has resigned as WCS director of human resources effective Dec. 31.
David Hoffert resigned as men's varsity track coach at WCHS and David Bailey resigned as the assistant track coach. However, Hoffer will take over Bailey's role as assistant men's varsity track coach and Bailey will become head track coach.
Jeff Grose was approved as freshman men's basketball coach at WCHS. Jillian Shively will be the varsity gymnastics coach at WCHS, Adam Esterline is assistant women's freshman basketball coach at WCHS, and David Wayne and Jerry Ryman will serve as men's varsity assistant basketball co-coaches and as men's freshman assistant co-coaches at WCHS.
Mark Spaulding was approved as an English teacher at WCHS.
In other business, the school board:
• Adopted the 2007 budget, the 2007-09 capital projects fund plan, the transportation school bus replacement plan, the resolution to reduce 2006 appropriations, 2007 budgets or line 11 operating balance, the tax neutrality resolution, and the transportation appeal and the new facility appeal.
• Approved three change orders for the WCHS building project for no increase to the cost.
• Heard a report on the Warsaw Teacher Academy from Nancy Rooker.
• Heard a report on ISTEP strategies from Terry Roe.
• Heard a school board candidate forum is being planned for October at Lakeview Middle School. For information will be provided at a later date.
Members of the Warsaw School Board are President Ron Yeiter, Vice President Dan Robinson, Secretary Gene England, Deb Wiggins, Tammy Dalton, Cathy Folk and Chuck Sauders.
