Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE — Wawasee School Board approved a wage increase for noncertified employees, reviewed major donations across the district and heard updates on athletics alignment efforts and ongoing pool repairs during a regular meeting Tuesday that drew several comments from patrons and staff.
All noncertified employees will receive a 50-cent hourly raise retroactive to the start of the year. New hires will receive a 25-cent increase. Regular bus route drivers will receive a $5 daily base-rate increase.
The board also approved the annual end-of-year payment resolution and renewed its insurance package following a 6% rate increase, an outcome Superintendent Dr. Steve Troyer described as favorable given recent claims and rising replacement cost valuations.
Patron Service, Athletics Concerns
During patron comments, long-time building trades volunteer Curt Hursey described the program’s annual Thanksgiving meal delivery and Christmas gift-donation effort, an outreach he said has quietly operated for nearly two decades. He encouraged the community to recognize participating students for the significant behind-the-scenes work involved.
“If you see the building trades kids, thank them for it because … the feedback we get from it is tremendous,” Hursey shared.
Hursey also requested updates on the middle school pool.
“The boiler has had some mechanical issues,” Troyer said. “We’re doing everything we can to keep that operational until we get that longer-term solution.”
Troyer reported tile replacement, originally planned for winter break, will be delayed until April, while the malfunctioning boiler is being stabilized through a temporary fix. The district hopes to relocate a functioning boiler from the old Milford school once students move into the new building in the spring.
Another patron, alumnus Dr. Ross Heil, urged the board to expand athletic discussions at future work sessions to better coordinate youth, middle school and high school programs.
“One area I think we are struggling is team sports,” Heil said. “The question becomes: How do we do a better job for our kids to be competitive?”
Troyer said the district has been meeting with community partners - including the Lakeland Youth Center and alumni groups - to explore long-term alignment strategies and will tentatively schedule a January work-session presentation.
The final comments of the night came from special education paraprofessional Brandi Berry. Berry discussed her tenure with the school, noting she had switched back to the paraprofessional role in part because of its growth opportunities and holiday bonuses.
“I just wanted to come represent the special-ed paras,” Berry said. “Every year we would receive a raise and get something at Christmas time. Last year we didn’t, and it was really hard.
“I love my job and I love working for Karen Brock,” she said, “but I’m not going to lie to you, it’s crossed my mind to go back to subbing. It’s a lot more flexible.”
New Transportation Director
The board formally welcomed new Transportation Director Jeff Drumm, a Wawasee alumnus with seven years of transportation experience.
“My son goes to Wawasee Middle School, and working in the community I already live in just seems right,” he said. “(I am a) former student as well.”
Drumm begins his role Monday and was selected through a committee including board members, district administrators and bus driver representatives.
Student Proposal For Free Athletic Admission
Troyer also announced a Wawasee Middle School student is spearheading a plan to secure funding to allow middle school students free admission to athletic events, mirroring a high school initiative launched earlier this year. Estimated remaining-year costs total $2,000-$3,000.
“She’s done a lot of work on this and has been the main driver in getting the conversation going,” Troyer said. “It was really cool to see middle school students leading the charge.”
The proposal will be shown to the board at its January work session.
Other Items
The board authorized selling outdated gymnastics equipment and old pool-timing systems.
Due to extremely low enrollment - eight students across three schools - the district will discontinue its elementary after-school childcare program and file a required waiver with the Indiana Department of Education.
The Wawasee School Board will next meet 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5 for it to work session at the professional learning center, 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse.
