PIERCETON – With the retirement of a principal and the school’s director of special education, Whitko will undergo some shifts in administration for the next school year.
The changes were announced at Monday night’s Whitko School Board meeting.
Whitko Middle School Principal Jerry Klausing recently told Superintendent Steve Clason that he will retire at the end of this school year.
Klausing has been the principal at WMS since 2000.
With that upcoming vacancy, Clason decided to ask Whitko High School Principal Parrish Kruger to replace Klausing.
Kruger came to Whitko as principal in 2004.
Clason noted that Kruger is looking to advance his education and perhaps even seek his superintendent’s license so a move to a different age group would help.
In turn, Parker, who has served as the high school’s assistant principal since 2009, will start the 2012-2013 school year as the principal.
At Monday night’s meeting it was also reported that Amy Bollinger recently announced her retirement as director of special education.
With Bollinger’s retirement, the position has been revised to be director of special services.
The school hired Donna Lehmann to fill that position.
Lehmann is currently the director of special services for Tippecanoe Valley High School.
It was also announced at Monday’s meeting that varsity boys basketball coach Rob Irwin announced his resignation.
The complete story on Irwin’s resignation can be found on page 1B.
Irwin will remain the school’s athletic director.
The school board approved Barton Coe Vilamaa as the architecture firm for a potential building project for the school corporation.
Umbaugh and Associates was also named as financial advisor for any potential building project.
At the school board’s December meeting, it was announced that a community committee recommended building a new Pierceton Elementary and to renovate South Whitley Elementary among other projects.
The estimated cost of the projects is $22 million.
Clason noted that despite the cost of the projects, the tax levy for taxpayers won’t go up.
The project would have to pass a referendum before it could move forward.
The school board also passed the summer food service program again.
Based out of Pierceton Elementary, the program allows for anyone under the age of 18 to get a free meal daily.
Last year, the program averaged 100 meals a day.
Those older than 18 can purchase meals for $3.
The program begins when school ends and runs through the end of July.
The program isn’t running during the week of July 4.
During his legislative update, Clason said that the legislature recently finished up and that some moves they made will help schools.
Clason said he appreciated the legislature’s decision to allow for multiple count days to determine how much funding schools will receive.
There will also be increased funding for all-day kindergarten.
Clason also encouraged parents to push for legislation regarding IREAD testing. Those third-grade students who don’t pass the test are asked to repeat the grade.
Clason said that schools need to do what’s best for students and that teaching to testing is “the lowest form of knowledge.”
“We need to prepare them for a world and with jobs that don’t exsist yet,” said Clason.
Pierceton Elementary will have a kindergarten welcome from 6 to 7 p.m. April 19 at the school.
South Whitley Elementary will also have a kindergarten pre-registration April 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the school.
The school will also hold a talent show April 27.
Klausing said that the middle school is currently working on a program for Disability Awareness Month.
The national program called “Spread The Word To End The Word” is designed to get students to stop using the word “retard” pejoratively.
Students are signing a banner that pledges they will stop using the word.
The high school is once again holding the Drive One For Your School event where those who test drive a Ford on April 28 can earn $20 for the school.
Tom McFarland, director of financial operations, said the school is on track budget wise despite a $350,000 cut to the Capital Projects Fund by the state.
Sue Lopshire, Whitko’s media specialist, gave a presentation to the board.
She announced that a Buy One Get One book fair will be at SWES April 16 - 20 and at Pierceton April 23-27. There will be online shopping available closer to the book fair through the media center’s Web site.
Lopshire also told school board members that nearly twice as many students met reading goals this year.
