West Central Board approves budget, master contract

In the meantime, students are drinking water from bottled dispensers and using hand sanitizers.

In other business, the West Central schools have requested that the IDOE (Indiana Department of Education) send a field consultant visit the school system on Nov. 6 to discuss integrating the New Indiana Standards with teachers. As previously discussed with the school board, the new Indiana standardized test will be more challenging as compared to the past.

Jim Stradling from Indian Trails Vocational Center addressed the board and went over different classes that are being held this year that students can take part in.

Under action items:

The board voted to adopt the 2015 budget for the General Fund, Capital Projects Plan and the Bus Replacement Plan, as presented.
The board also passed a resolution authorizing Superintendent Don Street to lower appropriations where necessary to more accurately reflect expenditures.
The board voted to approve extending the terms of the current master contract through the 2014-15 school year, as presented.
The board approved a motion to add a Theater Arts class to the high school curriculum for the second semester this year.

The school board approved the following individuals for employment, as presented:

Nicole Kopka – High School Custodian
Ryan Howat – Boys JV Basketball Coach
Melvin Wireman – Boys Varsity Assistant Basketball Coach
Ryan Kline – Boys 7th Grade Basketball Coach
Ross Davis – Boys 8th Grade Basketball Coach
Kevin Wenzel – Girls 8th Grade Basketball Coach
Tyson Mellon – Girls 6th Grade Basketball Coach

The board approved the resignations of business teacher Terry Boesch, and 8th grade girls basketball coach Riley Cervenka.

The board approved leave requests for bus driver Kelly Kranz – Medical Leave, and for Kasey Lowry – Personal Leave. Board member Jeff Lowry abstained from the vote.

Conference requests were approved for:

Karen Wettstein, Jill Shannon, Tammy Antonian – Playworks Recess Aide Training in Goshen
Amber Leman, Ashley Reinhold, Tammy Harter – NCTM Regional Conference in Indianapolis
Kris Aschbrenner – HECC Conference in Indianapolis

Field trips were approved for:

Marc Hall and members of FCA to attend the FCA Game Day in Indianapolis.
Heather Beach and members of Student Council to attend the State Convention in Indianapolis.

Under discussion items, Superintendent Street reported on the following:

West Central has been approved for a School Safety Grant and will be installing entry doors that require permission to enter.
The student count for September has a slight increase in enrollment.
The IDOE will be allowing Virtual Weather Days. West Central will be exploring the possibilities of internet based instruction if needed.
Substitute bus drivers are needed. Please contact the administration office to learn more if interested.

The board presented “Student of the Month” certificates to Garner Moon at the elementary school level, Ryan Lynch at the middle school level, and Justice Boozer at the high school level.

Under principal reports, middle/high school principal Pat Culp and elementary school principal Dan Zylstra reported that recently, the Indiana Department of Education has tentatively issued letter grades of A for the high school, C for the middle school, and A for the elementary school. The IDOE will officially release the school letter grades on Oct. 15. The principals reported that all of the schools worked extremely hard last year in order to achieve the letter grades. In the middle school and the high school, teachers continue to work on analyzing data and incorporating new instructional practices into the classroom.

Culp reported that the sixth-grade recently enjoyed some soggy weather and some good times on the camping trip at Camp Tecumseh. The students, teachers, and chaperones walked trails, participated in team building activities, and sang songs with the goal of creating a positive identity for the sixth-grade students transitioning to the middle school. He issued a special thank you to Mrs. Drone, Mrs. Minnick, and Mrs. Suhr for organizing the event, and to the parent chaperones for attending the trip.

The middle/high schools held Parent-Teachers Conferences Sept. 11; and also hosted a community Health Fair.

Zylstra reported that the school extends its thanks Dr. Moyer, who conducted vision checks for all of the kindergarten students and students new to the corporation in mid-September. He also thanked the Winamac Kiwanis Club, which donated and presented dictionaries to every third-grade student on Sept. 25.

Coming up, the book fair which is titled, “Sir Readalot’s Castle,” will run Oct. 6-10. Title I will host its fall Family Literacy Night on Oct. 9 with a complementary medieval theme. The school will have a bullying prevention assembly on the afternoon of Oct. 15. Parent Teacher Conferences at the Elementary School will be Oct. 16 and 21 after school. The school will hold a Pumpkin Coloring Contest will run Oct. 15-22, and Red Ribbon week wil be the last full week in October. The PTC has planned a Fall/Winter Bazaar for Nov. 15.