In other business, Dr. Klitzman reported Eastern Pulaski Schools was among the state’s top 25 school corporations showing growth in language arts/reading and math. The data leading to this honor and recognition was based on Eastern Pulaski Elementary School’s ISTEP+ scores. The school was notified of the recognition on Nov. 5.
Dr. Klitzman reported that there was a water pipe leak by the elementary school playground on Oct. 24, which could have caused significant damage, had it not been discovered early. DeSabatine Excavating was able to fix the problem immediately, with the help of the Town of Winamac’s vacuum truck.
Dr. Klitzman noted that without the vacuum truck, DeSabatine’s would have had to wait for the hole to dry out before they could locate the pipe and patch it. Thanks was given to Susan Crawford who discovered the leak, Bob and Dave DeSabatine, and Ron Thomas and Jeremy Beckner from the Town of Winamac.
Also in other business, Dr. Klitzman reported on the 21stCentury Scholars program, which he said is a “tremendous program” for those who are eligible and take advantage of it. The Twenty-first Century Scholars Program began in 1990 as Indiana's way of raising the educational aspirations of low and moderate-income families. The program aims to ensure that all Indiana families can afford a college education for their children.
Winamac has 46 seventh- and eighth-graders at the middle school who are signed up for the program, and another 35 in the process of enrolling. At total of 36 students in sixth-grade are eligible. The high school has 102 students in the program, which is 25 percent of the student body. If all who are eligible at the middle school sign up, there will be 120, which is 40 percent of the student body.
The board’s bus purchase committee (Mike Tetzloff, Cathy Fritz, Dave DeLorenzo and Dr. Klitzman) reported on their October meeting to review bus purchasing specifications for the next school year. The committee’s recommendation was to continue to purchase extra items through the bid process, upgrade FM radios (per a federal mandate), trade in two utility buses for two new utility buses, and trade in two regular route buses to purchase one new 78-passenger bus.
EPCS operates on a fiscal-year budget, and thus must go through the budget process at this time. A work session for the board was held prior to the regular meeting to discuss the budget and all of its components. The levies approved for advertisement will be estimated and inflated to ensure the state tax board has room to make cuts once the assessed value and other accurate numbers are received from the state. Approval was given to advertise the 2011-2012 budget and levies, and to set the public hearing for Dec. 13.
In his report, high school principal Rick DeFries announced the Veterans Day program, coordinated by the student council. He reported the professional development program for staff will focus on bullying. The fall athletic programs have finished their seasons. A special congratulations was given to the volleyball team for winning its first-ever regional title.
Principal Stan Good reported that the middle school students were teaming up with the high school for the Veterans Day program, and the staff would also team up with the high school for the professional development program.
Elementary school principal Jill Collins reported there will be three half-day parent/teacher conference, beginning Nov. 15. Students will be in class during the conferences. Professional development will focus on the Indiana Growth Model. She also reported that 2,483 items were donated to the local food pantry by elementary school students for a recent food drive. Mrs. Knarr’s class alone donated 412 items. The elementary school also planned a Veterans Day program.
The next school board meeting will be at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 13, in the Distance Learning Lab.
