The Warsaw Community Schools Board of Trustees accepted a donation from Via Credit Union at the first meeting of 2019 on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Pictured from left are Board Member Brad Johnson (in back), Cris Kistler from Via Credit Union, Leesburg Elementary School teacher Evan Overman, Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert (in back), Tracy Speigel of Via Credit Union, Board Member Michael Coon, Leesburg Elementary School Principal Nathan Polston, Board Vice President Randy Polston, Board Member Elizabeth Turley, Board President Heather Reichenbach and Board Secretary Jeremy Mullins.

WARSAW — The two newest members of Warsaw Community Schools’ board of trustees, along with two incumbents who won re-election, were sworn into office during the first meeting of the board in 2019.

Michael Coon and Brad Johnson took their place at the table following a swearing-in ceremony and began their duties along with fellow board members Heather Reichenbach and Jeremy Mullins, who also swore in after winning re-election and Randy Polston and Elizabeth Turley. Board member Jay Baumgartner was absent from the meeting, held Tuesday, Jan. 8 at the administration office.

The board conducted a reorganization meeting prior to a work session and re-elected Reichenbach to the position of president, while Polston was elected vice president and Mullins was tabbed as secretary.

During the work session, the board received a $2,500 donation from Via Credit Union, which will be earmarked for Leesburg Elementary School’s LEGO robotics program. Leesburg teacher Evan Overman told the board that Via usually provides about $500 for school donations.

“I reached out to their VP of marketing and said ‘Hey, that will barely crack the project I want to do,’” Overman said. “The kits that we need from LEGO are significantly more than that so I said ‘would you be willing to give our school a grant to start that project?’ They did some discussion and said “we’d love to.’”

In other business, the board:

• Heard a report on a disabled chiller with an estimated replacement cost of $394,440.
• Received an update from Chief Academic Officer Dr. David Robertson on the school corporation’s progress in STEM education, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
• Received an update from Chief Analytics Officer Shelly Wilfong on school assessments based on requirements from the Every Student Succeeds Act.
• Received an update on facilities from throughout the school corporation and an update on the progress of construction of the high school’s new Student Activity Center. Director of Maintenance, Buildings and Grounds Jim LeMasters invited the board to tour the facility following the meeting.
• Heard an update from Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert regarding a recent donation from Zimmer Biomet. Hoffert said the donations amounted to goods and services aimed at WCS patrons to help with the holidays.