From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society

Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.    

Information for this retrospective series is courtesy of the Kosciusko County Historical Society. For more history of Kosciusko County in the news visit yesteryear.clunette.com

Aug. 20, 1969 — An appeal by the Tippecanoe Valley School Board to have two high schools in the corporation was denied in Indianapolis Tuesday.

The ruling was handed down by the General Commission of the Board of Education of the State of Indiana after an TVSC appeal had been under study for the past month.

This means that the state group is sticking by its original recommendation of having only one high school centrally located.

Aug. 23, 1967 — The embattled Whitko School Board faced the public last night for the first time since release of a State Board of Accounts audit of school funds showed overpayments and irregularities during the previous tenure of former superintendent Delbert L. Hatton.

During a confused and oft-times hot session, the present board indicated that no actions would be filed by the board as a result of the audit. However, it was indicated that any citizens who wished could file a civil suit for recovery of any money that could be proven refundable.

Aug. 22, 1964 — There will be no high school at Sidney this year.

This news came as a shock today to the area as residents believed the school would continue this year. Board members made no announcement prior to the meeting that they were considering disbanding the school at this time.

The Whitko Community School board apparently voted to close the school at a special meeting. The first news of the closing came late Friday in a prepared news release issued by Superintendent Delbert Hatton.

Aug. 15, 1955 — It was revealed today that there will be no high school at Burket this year as Seward Township Trustee Fred Blackburn announced that the 65-70 students scheduled to attend high school there would instead be transferred to Silver Lake, Beaver Dam and Mentone.

Blackburn said this action was necessary due to the fact that the state board of education last March refused to grant Burket a high school commission and because the state tax board has not yet made its decision on a hearing held in Warsaw last June on township officials’ petition for a $126,000 bond issue to erect a new high school building at Burket.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels