Leesburg Elementary School's new principal will be announced Tuesday night.
The Warsaw Community School Corp. Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the central office to approve the hiring.
Former Leesburg principal Marv Marino resigned Aug. 14. He had not been at his post prior to his resignation. At the Aug. 20 school board meeting, the school board approved his resignation.
School Board President Ron Yeiter said the situation was frustrating to everyone and read the following prepared statement: "Mr. Marino has resigned his employment with Warsaw Community Schools. Warsaw Community Schools has discussed a procedural matter involving Mr. Marino with the Indiana Department of Education. No student has been physically or emotionally harmed. We are not at liberty to share any additional information, which is confidential personnel information. Neither are individual board members at liberty to share additional information."
According to Indiana Department of Education Director of Communications Jason Bearce Wednesday, the Department of Education received word on an ISTEP issue at Leesburg Aug. 17. He said there was a testing issue at Leesburg, but characterized the matter as a small infraction with small impact.
Bearce said that the school district will conduct an investigation and report on the investigation to the Department of Education. The Department of Education then will review the report and may conduct their own investigation.
That report is public record because it involves ISTEP, Bearce said, and can be provided by the school corporation to the public. He said he expected the report by the school corporation to be finished this week.
Marino was hired as Leesburg's principal in July 2004. He replaced Lynn Simmers, who resigned as Leesburg principal effective July 29, 2004. Marino was selected by a committee made up of administrators, teachers and parents.
In October 2006, Leesburg was one of only two Indiana schools to win the Indiana Title I Distinguished School Award.
In February, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Suellen Reed recommended Leesburg for the Eighth Annual National School Change Awards. In her letter of recommendation for the award, Reed wrote that Leesburg "has made significant progress in the last three years on the Indiana Statewide Test of Academic Progress."
After being recommended for the award, Leesburg School then had to apply for the award.
On May 2, Marino received notice from Lew Smith, National School Change Award director, that Leesburg was selected as one of 26 finalists in the award process.
Warsaw School Board members are Yeiter, Vice President Dan Robinson, Secretary Gene England, Tammy Dalton, Deb Wiggins, Chuck Sauders and Delores Hearn.
