Wawasee Switching To Semester Schedule Next Year
By Tim Ashley
InkFreeNews
SYRACUSE — It will no doubt be a big change and many details remain to be worked out, but the Wawasee School Board took the step of voting to change from the current trimester schedule to two semesters beginning with the 2022-23 school year. The vote was taken during the regular monthly meeting of the school board Tuesday, Nov. 9, in Syracuse.
Dr. Steve Troyer, superintendent, said there are many pros and cons to making the change, but he feels it would be more efficient from a staffing standpoint to teach on a semester schedule than a trimester schedule. He also noted there are some courses with a part A and part B that are taught in the first and third trimesters creating a split in a class. And more time could be spent offering help to students in a semester schedule.
Going to a semester schedule would mean seven classes instead of the current five and class periods would be 45 minutes in length. Wednesday’s schedule would be different due to Smart Starts and Warrior Time would not be offered that day.
Troyer said he has had discussions with school corporation “stakeholders” about the current grading period schedule. He asked Geoff Walmer, Wawasee High School principal, to look into changing to a semester schedule. The high school would be the most impacted by a change and the only effect it would have on middle schools is the Encore classes.
It was emphasized more details need to be worked out and reports will be given to the school board as more information becomes available. Walmer noted it has been about 20 years since a semester schedule was used at the high school.
In other business, the board approved a one-year contract extension for the DirectCare health program offered to school corporation employees who have the corporation’s health insurance plan. Troyer noted research has shown there has been a decrease in usage of DirectCare.
The board also approved entering into an agreement with Beacon Health System for a health care option offered online. This would be an option for employees who don’t work enough hours to get the health insurance and there would be no cost to employees for the program, which is offered 24 hours and seven days per week. The program connects people with a doctor online and can be accessed through a smartphone app or a computer.
Troyer noted kiosks are being considered for the Beacon Health System program. Kiosks would be set up somewhere on school property and allow for a higher level of health care to be offered, such as being connected to a heart rate monitor for an example.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting the board heard from Marsha Hill, a Wawasee bus driver for 39 years. She said she is concerned about there being no bus mechanics. Both mechanics recently resigned after accepting better offers elsewhere. “We depend on our mechanics,” she said.
She gave one example of a bus driver who had a broken windshield and called in to the transportation office, but was told to keep driving the bus. “Who will do anything about it?” she said.
Longtime coach Dave Stookey also addressed the board. Stookey has addressed the board multiple times in the last few years and talked about most sports at Wawasee High School no longer being competitive in the Northern Lakes Conference. Some sports have not won a sectional title in several years.
He said he intends to run for a school board seat during the next election in 2022. “We need to take a long, hard look at some of the things we are doing,” he said, emphasizing he has lived in the school corporation 58 years “and I love this school corporation more than life itself.”
In other business, the board approved acceptance of an offer by the Town of Syracuse to annex the property Syracuse Elementary School is located on into the town limits. Troyer noted the town has already been providing water and sewer service to the school, but this would make it official.
Other agenda items included:
• The super mileage car program at the high school received donations totaling $4,500 to help build this year’s super mileage cars.
• Korenstra Family Foundation donated $10,000 to the school corporation. The funds will be used for middle school basketball uniforms, high school band uniforms and supporting the DECA program at the high school.
• Polywood donated $500 that will be used to provide shooting shirts for the high school boys basketball program.
• Wawasee Boat Company donated $1,000 and the Kosciusko County Community Foundation donated $875 to extend training opportunities for more staff regarding dyslexia interventions.
• The Community Foundation also donated $3,000 to the early learning programs.
• Women of Today presented a check for $7,000 to Dr. Troyer to be used wherever needed in the school corporation.
• Five middle school runners qualified for the national middle school boys cross country competition in Louisville — Max Taylor, Ivan Waikel, Drew Yoder, Grady Berkeypile and Mason Worrell.
• The board approved donating an easement to NIPSCO for electric facilities along CR 1300N in Syracuse.
• Approval was given by the board to pursue the placement of a cellphone tower on school corporation property near the central office in Syracuse. Troyer noted the net contract value of the contract would be just under $750,000 and he said it should improve the poor reception in the Syracuse area. Local government must approve the placement of a tower.
• The board approved the master teacher agreement for 2021-22 that was discussed in greater detail during a special board meeting Nov. 4.