001Good evening. This is It's 6 o'clock. This is the Wash City Schools Board of Education meeting. It's Monday, February 16th. Roll call. All board members are present. Having a quorum and call the meeting to order. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Wire study schools provides a relevant, rigorous education founded upon relationships to ensure each student is college and career ready for success in the global community. Welcome. We don't have any recognitions tonight. Our revisions are revision 4 C through E. Is there anyone in the audience that wishes to comment on an agenda item? Okay. The consent agenda. We have minutes from February 2nd,
0022026. Some claims. There's no not no donations tonight. And we have financials. I'll accept a motion on the consent agenda. So moved. Second. discussion. Okay, we will start with our Janu January revenue and expenses. Um, we were very close to our projection for revenue. Um, you will notice that revenue for this year was quite a bit lower than 2025. Um, the reason for that is we did not take out the tax anticipation warrant this year. Um, our accounts payable expenses, we were also very close to our projection. um for this year. Last year was significantly higher and the reason why was because we were invoiced um we received an invoice for a December 24 debt payment and we didn't get it until January. So, we ended up having to pay that out of uh 2025.
003So, it looks like our expenses for January were inflated last year when actually they weren't. and I think it was like $445,000. >> Um, for our payroll expenses this year, we were only off by $8.90. So, I don't know that we could probably get that close ever again. >> Um, so when you look at our projection, we were projected to have a net loss of about 350 57,000. Um, we ended with a net loss of 370,419. That is not surprising. January was a three pay month. Um, so had we not had that third payroll, I went in and took that out, we would have had a small net income of about $25,000. So nothing to be concerned about. We we know that whenever we have three payments, it's most likely going to be a net
004loss. Um, moving on to our key fund balances. Uh, our ED fund is just a tad over. Um, oh, I did not update this. Those numbers are not correct. Uh, actually the ED fund is 1,559,330,000. Um, so we're about $1,000 $100,000 less than last year. Um, our operations fund is still positive, but it has dropped down to $61,256. Um, we had some large um payments in operations this month. That included our quarterly installment for our property insurance >> and then we also had some very large snow removal bills. Um, so those are things. Uh, we won't have another, uh, property insurance bill for 3 months, so this will kind of start evening out. Um, and hopefully we have no more snow and don't have any more snow removal. >> And rainy day sits at $9,441.
005That one is correct. Um, so if you look at the total of our key fund balances for 2025, it was uh right at about 1.3 million. This year we're at 1.6 million. So we're about $300,000 more. So still doing um decent with our key funds. Um moving on now to our appropriations report. And since we are starting 2026, it's back to just being a small small amount of information. So when we look at um our revenue, we have collected 8.3% which is exactly what our target is when you do one out of 12. Um our tuition, we've collected a little bit hot more than what we've expected. Um, moving down to our expenses, again, the target for uh one month is 8.3%. A lot of these are over that, but again, it's because we had
006that three pay month. So, over the next couple months, these will start balancing themselves out. Um, so right now we're at 9.5%. So, we're about 1.2% over. So, nothing of major concern at this point. Um, moving on to operations. Um, our revenue, we have a few that are over the 8.3. So, that's good. However, when you look at total revenue for operations where um at 5.7, remember we don't get revenue in operations until June and December. So, we know that the total revenue will usually kind of lag behind. Um when you look at our expenses, our um area vocational school, we always pay a very large payment in um January and this covers some of their operational expenses and then it drops down. So over the course of the year that will balance itself out.
007Um we also have um some uh other ones like when you look at the other executive administration uh that would would include um Shelley Huff's retirement payout. >> Um and then maintenance of ground that's snow removal. So that's why that one is high. Um insurance you can see like I said we had that one large insurance payment. So, we've almost maxed that out. We will need to look at transferring money to Rainy Day and then using Rainy Day to cover our insurance for the remainder of the year. Kind of like what we did last year. Um, so overall we're at 11.1% when you look at our operations. So, a little bit over, but at this point we know that some of these are going to balance themselves out over the course of, you know, the
008next three months, six months. So, nothing to be too concerned of right now. Any questions? >> All those in favor of accepting the consent agenda say I. >> Those opposed. The consent agenda passes. The next regular scheduled board meeting will be Monday, March 2nd here at city hall at 6:00 p.m. There's some items of communication. There's no old business on to new business. A board will hold first reading on the following new updated policies. Number one, policy 4010, which is enrollment. That's updated. Policy 613, procurement federal grant funds. This is new. And policy 3150, controlled substance and alcohol policy for employees holding a commercial driver's license. This one is updated. I'll accept a motion. So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. We do have copies of the policy available if anyone wants to look at them.
009We're not going to read them. Some of them are rather long. Um I will go over each one. Policy 4010, we are updating this as a result of our recent state board of accounts audit. Um major revisions included removing language that required students to live in our district to attend Wbash City Schools. Um obviously that has changed. We we will accept anybody. Um we have also added language requiring families to provide a proof of residency. Um we will begin doing that during registration this summer, online registration. And there are three items that they we will take for proof of residency. Um it can be the parents stateisssued either ID card or driver's license that shows their current address. Um a copy of a utility bill that shows their current address or a copy of a
010mortgage or lease agreement that shows their current address. Just residency in Indiana. >> State requirement. Yes, this is a state requirement that >> is this new? >> No, it's something that should have been done. Um, when they did the audit, they pulled maybe 10 10 student records and look and see if we have proof of residency in there. And I believe we only had proof of residency in one of them. So, it's something that we have to start collecting. Um, it'll be, you know, real easy. they can snap a picture of their driver's license, upload that into online registration. Those that we don't get during registration, we will contact the ones that we haven't gotten them from. And as long as we can show that we have reached out to families probably on three different
011occasions to try to get this um we should be okay. >> Okay. >> Um >> is that part of the policy? How many times will actually request to look? >> That's not part of it. >> Okay. It's just that we do >> we do make effort. >> Yes, >> that's the requirement. >> Um the next one is policy 6 oh I have 6013. It's a new policy and it's also a result of our recent audit. Um it outlines how we will manage our federal grants in compliance with all applicable laws. Um, it includes internal controls over allowability, cash management, procurement, conflicts of interest, equipment management, reporting and certifications, mandates, audits, and corrective actions for any findings, ensures staff trainings for federal grant administration, and establishes procedures for reporting suspected misuse of federal funds. So, this
012was something that we did not have in. So, it's really telling us how we have to use our federal grants and funds. And then the last one is policy 3150. This is updated. Mrs. Callahan worked with the state transportation director at the IDOE to ensure our policy is current. She learned that there are 11 federal guidelines that we must follow in regards to employees with the CDL. Our previous policy was missing some of those. So, the updated policy now covers those 11 11 guidelines. >> Any questions from the board? >> Okay. So, we'll do our second reading at the next board meeting and then we'll be able to pass all these at that point. >> Okay. And I guess we don't have to vote on that, right? So, no. >> Guess I didn't need to
013>> Ask for a motion. Wonder why hesitation, but Okay. Board or B board to approve offering the WCS watch me grow summer learning learning program for RI rising first through fourth grade. We will offer both literacy and math instruction. Funding for the program will come from both summer school reimbursement and the Eisenberger donation that we received a few years ago which was specifically meant to help at risk students. I'll accept a motion. >> Second discussion. Uh for the past several years we have partnered with the YMC for YMCA for the summer spark program. This year Mrs. Philippy and I met with them and we learned that their budget was cut in half. So they were only going to be able to service about 33 rising first through fourth graders. So really probably about eight per
014grade level. Um so we developed a summer learning program. um kind of talked about what it could look like and this is what we have come up with. Um and this there's still some things that I think we need to tweak on this. Um it will be for grades um first through fourth grade next year. So, our current kindergarten through third graders, we are looking to enroll anywhere from 15 to 20 per grade. Our third and fourth grade class will depend on I read remediation numbers. So, if we have, you know, let's say we had 20 kids that needed remediation, they would take all of the spots. Um, if we only need eight for remediation, then we would open it up to other students. Um, so we potentially could serve up to 80 students compared
015to 33 with the buy. The dates would be Monday through Friday and we would start June 1st. That day would probably be a staff day just to give teachers time to come in and kind of map out what they want to do for the next three weeks. Um, and the time would be 8:30 to 3. We would provide transportation. we will probably need two bus drivers to offer trans transportation for 80 students. Um we did a breakdown of what the day would look like. They would start with breakfast. Um they would have literacy instruction in the morning and then go to lunch and recess and then do math instruction, but we're going to do that through specials. So, we're going to work, you know, have our our music teacher teach about, you know, I'm not
016a music person, so that probably wasn't a good one for me to choose. So, >> yeah. Yes. Yes. >> Um, uh, but we thought that way they could do some things that include math, but also give them a little bit of that that other fun stuff that kids really enjoy. Um, that would be Monday through Thursday. And then Friday would be off-site learning. And so some of the things that Beth and I talked about were potentially going to the Fort Wayne Zoo, um Connor Prairie, and then they also have a butterfly exhibit at the Poolinger Fryman Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne. Those are just some things that we're looking at. Um the data that we would use to evidence growth, first and second graders would take the NWA reading fluency and NWA map growth during
017the last week of the program and we we would be able to evaluate that um to their end ofear data. For our third and fourth grade students attending for I read remediation, we they would take the i3 during that last week. So, we'd be able to compare um our spring test results to the summer test results. And then third and fourth grade students that have passed I read, they would take the NWA map growth reading and math and we can compare that to their end of year. So, we'll have some data points to show did this program was it beneficial. Um, teachers would be paid the summer school rate of $35 an hour and they would end up with 69 hours over the the three weeks. Paras would earn um potentially $11 an hour. We're
018still looking at do we just want to pay them their hourly rate. Um, so that could be a little bit different. And then bus drivers get the um $96 a day for for driving. So we've worked on this. We have a budget. Um, we would get uh a portion of the funds back from summer school. Um, let me get back to my Oops. So, like I said, some of it would be reimbursed through the IDOE summer school program. This includes all or part of the teachers pay and the paras. Any expense that was not covered by summer school would come from that Eisenberger donation. Um we project that the total program will cost between 35 and 40,000. We don't know for sure how much we get back from summer school because it depends on how
019many schools across the state offer it, but last year they fully funded the second and third grade I read. So I imagine that they would do that again. Um, and then the other ones we would get back a portion. So, I'm projecting we would probably get back about $15,000. So, if it's costing us 35 to 40,000, that means we would take 20 to 25,000 from the Eisenberger funds and that currently has uh just a little bit over $150,000. Um, so we have, you know, potentially six or seven years that we could fund through the Eisenberger donation. Um, but I think once that we've been able to show that this is an effective program and if we decide to continue during those five to seven years that we have the Eisenberger grant, we can start looking
020for other funding sources to be able to continue this indefinitely >> or even to offset some of the cost so we don't have to use all of that. Okay. >> And I believe Mrs. Philippy has talked to her teachers because that was one thing we wondered. Are teachers going to want to do this um and so she can speak to that. >> Yeah, I sent out um a survey to teachers a few weeks ago asking if there would be just interest and it's I could fill all the positions right now just from OJ staff. Um we had huge interest in in the program and teachers were specifically excited about um when we do these art program through the live they use a different curriculum and so teachers have to be trained in that curriculum every
021year and then it didn't necessarily align to what we were doing. So, they will get to just continue on from where they left off for some of them. Um, and use the same curriculum, same materials, um, and it'll it just be better learning for our kids. >> Is that one teacher per grade level, Beth? >> Yeah, it' be one teacher per grade level and then a special teacher in the afternoon. >> Okay. And I was going to ask about curriculum if they had to develop their own or if there was something. >> Nope, they'll use what we have. >> Okay. And we will hire a parah for each grade level. Okay. And so they will be with the the classroom teacher in the morning and then they will go to the special. So the special
022teacher will have a parah as well. So paras will work all day. The teachers will only work half days. Um go ahead. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I wondered how the specials would be integrated then if you got a you're going to have like an art teacher or Okay. And we have one grade level and then you'll have the salary for the art and the music person too then. Okay. >> And we're prioritizing third and fourth grade >> or students who haven't passed by. >> Okay. In in second grade if they are considered at risk after taking second grade I read then they are required or strongly encouraged to do summer school. So we will look at that. and then any student who doesn't pass um in third grade has to do the summer. So, we'll
023look at those numbers first and then open it up. >> Students will have taken ivory twice before this because they're able to take it in >> uh we'll do that testing in February. Correct. >> First week of March. And then we'll do it again. I think the summer window opens the third week of May. >> Yeah. So, they can do it then and then they can during summer school would have a third attempt. So hopefully by the time we get to the actual summer school with the two tests prior, we aren't filling a whole classroom with remediation that it might be eight kids and then we can fill in with other students. >> Okay, great. >> And I think our parents will appreciate this because it's all day and it's Monday through Friday. I'm assuming
024breakfast and lunch is free still program >> and this won't cost families anything. >> Nope. >> That's awesome. >> So would the parents if you don't let's say you have some openings from the kids who did okay on I read and that kind of thing. How do you determine which first come first serve on that? >> U we haven't really talked specifics but I would guess we would do somewhat of a teacher recommendation. Um that's how we did for SparkCC that we did referrals to Spark. So we would probably look at um interventions and where some students were in the in the intervention pyramid and maybe offer it to those um first and then open it up. Okay. >> Any other questions? All those in favor of approving the program say I. I. >> I.
025Those opposed? Motion passes. Board to approve the resignation of Alex Stall as WMHS pair professional effective February 9th, 2026. >> So moved. >> Second discussion. Um we'd like to thank Mrs. Stall for her service to Wabash City Schools. At this point in the year, the middle school high school has decided not to fill this position. We'll post this summer and look to get a replacement for next school year. Okay. Those in favor of approving the resignation say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. Item D. Board to approve the retirement of Kurt Brackenheimer. Brackenhammer as a full-time bus driver effective at the end of the 2025 through 2026 school year. I would like to recommend allowing Kirk to be a substitute bus driver for the 2627 school year. >> So moved. Second. >> Discussion.
026>> So Mr. Brackenhammer has decided to retire at the conclusion of this school year. I believe he started with Wabash City Schools as a subd driver 30 years ago. Is that correct? >> 29 and a half. >> Okay. Um you've been a full-time driver for us for the past eight years. Is that correct? >> 10 years. >> I started November 96. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Um, so he informed us that he would like to continue in the fall as a subd driver and we are greatly appreciative of that. Um, we want to thank Kurt for his time and service to Wbash City Schools and we hope he enjoys retirement. >> Thank you, Kurt. >> Thank you. >> All those in favor of approving the retirement say I. >> I. >> Those opposed? Motion passes. Congratulations.
027>> Thanks. Thank you. >> Item E, board to approve Lori Gunderman as a longterm long-term substitute for library and fourth grade DLI from January 6th through April 3rd, 2026. >> So moved. >> Second >> discussion. Um, starting the second semester, Mrs. Gunderman has been helping cover both our library special in the morning and our fourth grade DLI class in the afternoon. Somehow we missed getting this approved. I know that she's was working as a parah for us and I know we talked about it but like I said we didn't get it approved so we're doing that now and it will be retro to January 6th. Um we're thankful for Mrs. Gunderman's willingness to help out in our flexibility. >> Okay. All those in favor of approving say I. >> I. Those opposed motion passes. Items
028from superintendent. >> Um I hope everyone had a happy Valentine's Day. Uh Chad and I went and saw the plain white teas on Friday night. They were really good. It is so nice to live in a community that has a facility that brings things like that to to us. Um tomorrow night is our last home boys basketball game of the season. So it's one of my favorites. It's senior night. Next Wednesday is the big idea event at OJ that starts at 400 pm and runs until 5:30. I won't be there, so I'm going to challenge Mrs. Philippy to go live. So about it or get somebody to go live. >> You can you can make your assistant principal do that. >> That's right. >> Uh because I was told that when that goes live like
029the traffic on our web p or our Facebook page picks up. So people like seeing it. Y >> um and I checked we are about one month away from the first day of spring, but it can come earlier if it would like. >> Okay, thank you. Items from chief operations officer. >> I especially since he's here, I just like to thank Kurt. It I don't I don't know if people understand what bus drivers do and all the things they go through. So, I just wanted to say thank you to Kurt and appreciate all he's done for us. Okay. Items from administrator. >> Other items from visitors. >> I just had a question. >> Um I reported at our council meeting from your previous meeting that we're applying for a waiver to get those three days
030back and the mayor thought he heard >> we got two back. >> Got two back. Okay. >> And so I did check with the IDOE why we did not get three and they said across the state they were only going to wave two. So that's what everybody that applied. In fact, I know someone that applied for one and they still got two. So >> how weird. >> Yeah. >> Well, something went on parent square or something because he said he got something and I >> define the two differences between the did you call that? >> Synchronous and asynchronous. Yes. >> Whatever that all. >> Yeah. So asynchronous is uh homework is posted and kids just work at work on it >> at their leisure. >> Okay. >> If we would move to synchronous then there
031would be a set schedule and they would have to join like a Google meet >> and be there for 20 to 30 minutes of live instruction. >> Okay. >> So >> that was the one that you were least in favor of. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, >> just want to make sure >> we've got two days left after today's uh e-learning day. So, like I said, spring can come anytime. >> Thank you. >> However, fog still happens. >> Okay. Um >> over there. >> Other items from board members. Joe, um, at the last board meeting, we picked the mural for the park >> group. They had some great ideas. Um, I'm not sure when that's going to get started, but sometime soon. Um, get out your calendars. April 3rd is the Easter egg hunt. Bachelor
032Creek Church does that. That's Good Friday, by the way. And um come October >> October 23rd through the 25th, that's the weekend after the chili cookoff, there's a 200-y year anniversary of the treaty of the Paradise Spring reenactment. >> That was all approved. >> Okay. Thank you. Um I don't have anything. We haven't had our H Heartland board meeting yet. It's this Wednesday. Um we've got a meeting before the meeting to discuss um the lease at five. So hopefully I will have be able to bring you something at the next meeting about whether we are moving forward with the precision a lease. Okay. But I have nothing else. >> Jason, >> um I think it was SRO officer day Sunday which is a very strange day. But I appreciate what what our officers do and
033uh what they bring to our table. So thank you to officer Miller and Hitchkin. Um for me RDC uh the only thing that we really gone over recently is we uh re uh authorized uh for the facade grant downtown district. I don't know if you guys have seen anything about that photo, but last year was the first it came back. it was authorized before uh downtown Wash has asked uh for RDC to kind of use some of their uh revenue fund options to go up to $50,000 to basically do kind of like a MA matching grant. So the business owners give say $2,000 say to towards maybe even their facade somehow they would give $2,000 towards that as well to help them pay for it. So, um, they basically tapped out most of the $50,000
034last year and so they're hoping to keep doing it as long as people are interested in revitalizing their businesses. Uh, so that's pretty cool. That's all. >> Connie, >> oh, I'm not on a committee. I probably did, right? Um, no, just teasing. A lot of great things going on in city schools. I went to uh judge the murals the kids did. Couldn't believe their presence in terms of speaking in front of a group and they did they did a fantastic job and it was fun to be back, you know, at my old stomping grounds. And then I went to Whitney Meyer's class and the kids did a simulation for the election between uh Harding and um uh to help me out, Joan Harding. And who who did he run against? cops >> and the kids
035did a fantastic job. I was really really impressed with that and um Whitney said they had like four days to pull it together and they did a really really great job. The other thing is um our granddaughter is in little Apaches and I found it very very gratifying to go well it's fun to watch the kids you know but the other thing that's really cool the Fox girls are both there helping and I remember watching them play ball and they're such good good people and then of course Brooklyn Short well her married name they'll those kids will always be their maid name in my mind and everything And that was really really cool. And I love the support. At the end of one of the games, one of the parents brought um her child to
036Brooklyn and said, "You need to apologize because you you know, you were such a sore loser." And that kind of thing. And um and it was maybe not quite the parent you would think who would have done it and that kind of thing. And so that is really really cool to see all those kids engaged. And that's all I've got. Okay. Thank you. Um, I want to congratulate um, Mr. Say his name again. Bracken Bracken. >> Mr. Kurt on his retirement again. And I do have an update on the library board. She started today. We have a new director. Great. >> I'm her name. >> Deborah Greenacre, okay, >> is her name. And she comes to us from >> up in northern Michigan, like around the Lake Erie area. So she comes a little ways
037and but she started today. I just got confirmation from Bill Bennish, our library board president, that she did in fact start. >> So moving down here >> she I know was looking for a place to rent here in town. So I hope she found something. I'll talk to her tomorrow because we have our board meeting then. But yeah, I can announce we we have a new director and I know that we will miss Jan Roland and all that she did for the library and I'm sure she will help out um Deborah when she can. Um she did a great job for us. So with that, we're journed. Thank you.