BURKET — The Tippecanoe Valley Board of School Trustees heard the negative along with the positive during its regular meeting, held Monday evening, Jan. 18, at the Burket Educational Center.

Concerns presented by former Tippecanoe Valley FFA Advisor Lisa Paxton brought several FFA students and their parents to the meeting to show support.

Paxton stated school officials had given her the choice to step down as FFA advisor or be fired from that position. She opted for retirement.

Paxton said she believes the situation came after she spoke up about cuts made to the FFA program, then met with FFA students to prioritize what they thought was important to accomplish this school year. She added she was told she had no right to ask the students what was important.

The board listened to her concerns but did not discuss the topic with Paxton during the meeting.

Mentone Elementary School Principal Randy Dahms and kindergarten readiness teacher Ashley DuBois gave a presentation on the school’s kindergarten readiness program, stating 20 students are currently on a waiting list for next year but the class roster is already filled.

The full-day, high-scope program focuses on active learning and teaches concepts like planning, problem solving and critical thinking as students prepare to enter kindergarten.

Several parents were present and gave positive feedback on the program. One mom spoke up and noted her son is proud of the projects he brings home while another applauded the fact it is non-religious. She added  DuBios and her assistants were able to identify issues her son has with speech and work with him accordingly.

A father said his daughter was recovering from a traumatic experience over the summer and he believes the program has helped her.

“She comes home at night and she has to show me what she did that day, what she made that day,” he said.

At a high school level, personnel from the Burket Educational Center gave a presentation on their program. Changes to the program at Burket this year have included a stricter dress code, tighter attendance rules and a “lockdown” policy for personal electronics like cell phones.

Students work at their own pace but with help available as needed. Students start out the year with a certain number of “minutes,” which they can add to or subtract from based on their conduct. The program also encourages community involvement and students attended a tree planting ceremony and a community dinner and organized a meal packing shift during the 2015 Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event.

Three Burket students received certificates and recognition for achievements in academics and/or the workforce.

Other News

• The board changed its meeting times to 6:30 p.m. the second Monday of the month.
• Board members selected its officers for 2016. The board voted on Dave O’Brian as president, Brian Murphy as vice president, Todd Hoffman as secretary and Jessica McFarland as treasurer.
• Dates have been set for various phases of the Akron Elementary School building project. Work will commence in May as soon as school is out.
• TVSC Testing Coordinator Chrissy Mills presented a packet outlining the 2015 ISTEP testing results for students in grades 3-8. She noted that, at the middle school level, teachers had to order emergency paper-and-pencil tests due to a technology malfunction. However, students were unable to complete the technology portion of the test and took a hit in scoring.