Celebrating success, questioning need for cost-saving measures highlight WCCS meeting tonight
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
The Whitley County Consolidated School Corporation met this evening for their monthly meeting – celebrating successes and contemplating the future need to take a more careful look at field trip requests as a cost-saving measure.
On November 6, the Columbia City High School guidance department was honored with a Gold Star Award from the Indiana Department of Education. The plaque will be displayed near the guidance office at the high school.
“We’re very proud of the high school’s efforts in this,” said Superintendent Laura Huffman. “Congratulations!”
There were 19 schools that earned the award this past year, representing excellence from the grade school through high school level. The board extended their congratulations as well. “It’s always nice to be recognized for excellence,” said board member Don Armstrong.
A request to take a group 15 journalism students and two chaperones on a trip to New York in March brought about concerns
“This is a husband and wife team going. Who’s picking up their expenses,” asked Western. “Where’s that money coming from?”
Western’s concerns did not simply surround the trip itself – she said she was particularly concerned by the request form itself.
“I probably wouldn’t have given this thing a second thought. I was very much appalled by this coming before us,” Western said in reference to the form itself that was, she stated, laden with spelling errors and nonsensical words.
Additionally, Western said she was concerned by the cost of the trip and the expense of substitute teachers to replace two staff people outside the classroom for five days.
“The students shouldn’t be penalized for not making this available to them,” said Tim Bloom.
Huffman described Western’s concerns as “valid” and wanted the board and administration to discuss field trip policies further during a future work session. Other field trips of similar distance and cost have been approved in the past, but board members wondered if in the future, in the name of cost reduction, that such request might need to be considered more carefully – not just for the expense itself, but for the cost in hiring substitutes and on the quality of education in the classroom if field trips are at a level deemed excessive.
Western requested that the journalism field trip document be re-submitted to the board, which was a point of view supported by her fellow board members.
Julie Turpin and a group of teachers from Mary Raber Elementary School presented a program about their schools.
Turpin spoke of the schools goals: to work and learn in a safe disciplined environment and for 85% of students to meet or exceed passing scores on ISTEP.
“We have some wonderful staff models,” Turpin said. “We’re happy now that 90% of our students have breakfast on a given day.”
Turpin cited community partners for providing eye exams, gym shoes and other services.
Each year, Turpin said, the school has maintained a 95% attendance rate and currently is near 98% for attendance and accident-free thus far.
“Our ratings are between very good and outstanding,” Turpin said.
Representatives of the middle school commented on a Veterans Day fish fry event that served over 1000 meals.