Whitko Recognizes PrincipalsPIERCETON - The Whitko School board recognized principals in its school district at their monthly meeting Monday night.
October is National Principals Month and the school board gave gift certificates and pens to principals and assistant principals.
"Sometimes it may not seem like it but we appreciate everything you do," said Superintendent Steve Clason.In his report, Clason told the board the corporation is working on two grants, one a Title IV grant is for student assessment while the Title 2A grant is for professional development.
During building updates, Pierceton Elementary Principal Barb Ihnen said 89 percent of parents attended the schools recent parent/teacher conferences.
Ihnen also told the board they have reading coaches from Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee coming to look at how Pierceton runs its program.
Ihnen also said there will a book swap sponsored by the Parent Teacher Organization.
Students will bring in books and every student, due to donations, will be able to take home two new books.
The program will start with fourth and fifth graders and eventually move to other grades.
At the high school, Whitko Principal Parrish Kruger congratulated the boys cross country team for advancing to semi-state at IPFW which will take place this Saturday.
Kruger also touched on the schools school-wide goals saying the high school is one percent over where attendance was last year.
Principal George Roth, South Whitley Elementary, said parent teacher conferences at his school had about a 90 percent parent attendance rate.
Roth also said the school went over information for bus and fire safety weeks.
Members of the South Whitley Fire Department came to the school and fifth graders produced and presented public service announcements to the lower grades.
Principal Jerry Klausing, Whitko Middle School, said the school is preparing for its annual science fair.
Klausing also said that parent teacher conferences are upcoming and that for parents who can't attend who teachers really want to meet with, they've set up Oct. 29 as another date to hold conferences.
On Nov. 6, a day middle school kids were already out of school, all teachers and administrators from Whitko Middle School will be in Indianapolis for a conference.
Dirk Felger, maintenance superintendent for the corporation, gave his annual asbestos update.
Felger said the information is the same as last year with no asbestos at the middle or high school.
Tom McFarland, director of financial operations for the school board , said he hasn't heard from the state yet on possible budget cuts.
McFarland said cuts were built into their Capital Projects fund just in case.
Transportation Director Mike Sands said the corporation received two bids for fuel with only one being a legal bid.
Sands suggested and the board approved for the corporation to continue buying fuel on the open market.
Sands said this is the time of year when fuel prices will begin to rise with winter fuel blends coming out.
The board officially approved its 2010 budget as well as administrative salaries and contracts and board salaries for 2010.
The board, as is corporation wide, will receive a .5 percent increase.
Felger also told the board that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management expressed interest in erecting a small building with a tower to track things like water particulates, wind direction and speed.
IDEM said they will pay for all the equipment and building of the site though where that will be hasn't been determined yet.
Felger said IDEM hopes to have the station up and running by January.
Clason said he hoped this would save the corporation money.
The board had earlier wanted to conduct studies on possible wind towers but balked after estimates put the studies at between $40,000 and $50,000.
Felger will also receive a new 3-quarter ton GMC truck that is used to plow snow.
Jan. 18 was approved as an in-service day for teachers. Kids were already scheduled off school that day.
The board will next meet Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the administration building in Pierceton.
