Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw School Board heard Tuesday about stop-arm violations.
Transportation Director Mark Fick said there are 51 bus routes that drive 11,000 miles a day. There were 283 stop-arm violations since August 2025. Of those violations, 112 were sent to the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office and 16 of those violators were pulled over by law enforcement.
Since school has started for the 2026-27 school year, there have been 69 stop-arm violations, Fick said. Police have pulled over four of those 69 vehicles.
Areas with the highest reported violations included Papa John’s with 71 and Detroit Street with 29, followed by West Lake and Orchard Ridge with 15 each.
Fick said numbers of violations are up from where the school corporation was at this point in the school year last year.
He said the upside was law enforcement are “out there.” Police will be patrolling different stop areas. He said the presence of the Warsaw Police Department, Winona Lake Police Department and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office has been incredible.
Fick said he has been contacted nine times by different school corporations about how WCS handles stop-arm violations because “they want our direction, how we do it.” Fick also said stop-arm violation fines have increased from $150 to $500.
Fink showed the board four videos of three stop-arm violations, two of them being at the stop at Papa John’s. Two vehicles were pulled over by police and one vehicle was stopped by a WCS employee.
One of the violations came from a vehicle in the opposite lane of traffic near Papa John’s and Fick said the person fought the violation.
There are 37 state road bus stops. Fick said on any state road with a speed limit over 45 miles per hour, the school corporation legally has to have curbside stops. He said 92% of all WCS stops are curbside.
Board President Heather Reichenbach said there has to be a physical median between lanes to not stop for stopped buses. Since there was no physical median, the person driving in the opposite direction still had to stop. Fick said that was correct, saying it’s basically a four-way highway.
Reichenbach said she didn’t think any of the drivers intend to hit a student or put them in danger, but possibly driving absent mindedly or without knowing the rules. She said she appreciated Fick educating people about the stop-arm violations.
Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said he appreciated the autonomy Fick gave his drivers to let him know if something is wrong or unsafe with bus stops.
In other business, the council:
• Heard the 2027 budget hearing will be during Monday’s regular board meeting at 7 p.m.
• Heard a presentation about the Dual Language Immersion Program.
The first group of DLI students, who are sophomores, began taking their Spanish classes to the college level through a partnership with Indiana University South Bend.
Crystal Kreider, dual language immersion coach, said this is the 11th year for the DLI program at WCS.
Thirty-eight out of 45 students who took the AP exam in the spring earned a score of 3 or higher. They can earn between three and nine college credits based on their score.
There were three students who passed the Indiana University South Bend placement test for taking dual credit classes.
In all, 85% of the ninth-grade cohort qualified for entrance based on GPA requirements, resulting in 37 students becoming “Tiger Titans.”
In 10th and 11th grades, DLI students will take two 300-level classes. In 12th grade, students will take one 300-level class and do community internships.
IUSB adjunct professor Ana Manwaring also talked about teaching the students.
• Heard Leesburg Elementary and Lakeview Middle School are expected to be designated as International Spanish Academies in December.
• Kreider was recognized by the school board for her work with the DLI program. She was given a Lead the Way certificate by Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert and a present from United Way from Whitley and Kosciusko Counties.
• Recognized IT staff as part of IT Professionals Day. The board also heard a presentation from Director of Technology James Davis of what IT staff does within the school corporation.
