News Tagged ‘Knox Community School Board’

 

He helps second, third and fourth grade students who struggle with reading and reading comprehension, sounds and word structure. The program helps students who have difficulty in reading fluency, spelling and students who have not shown growth in NWEA and ISTEP testing.

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Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The amount was a little more than estimated but now all of the expenses can be paid with the approval of this appropriation.

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The Knox Community School Board will be meeting tonight for the first time after the school’s proposed referendum failed in a special election held May 7.

Plans as to how the board will move forward are not on tonight’s agenda, but the board members will be discussing the employment of summer school paraprofessionals, make a library board appointment and get an update on graduation activities.

A representative was present at the last board meeting to discuss a Roth 403(B) ING retirement option and the board will delve more into that discussion during tonight’s meeting. The board will also discuss a payment for special education.

The meeting begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the administrative office.

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Back left to right: Benjamin Darda, Austin Heise, Colton Skidmore Front: Marge Wood, Nikole Scheib, Julia Markovitz, Laurie Simmons.

The Knox Community School Board members recognized the Knox High School Envirothon team during the Spotlight on Success portion of their meeting Monday night.

The team had gone to the state competition on April 30 and placed 13th out of 17 teams. Coaches Laurie Simmons and Marge Wood told the board they were proud of the effort of the students and competed well at Washington High School.

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Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz says school districts will have to continue to conduct referendums to seek tax increases until the Indiana Legislature changes the school funding formula. She made the comments during several stops in Lake and Porter Counties. Ritz told educators at the Hammond Area Career Center that “you have to spend money to get money.” She thinks that many voters in areas where school district referendums failed may not have been aware of the issue. The state school superintendent says she encourages the school districts whose referendums did not pass, to try again during the next election. Knox was one such school. Local voters rejected a property tax increase to pay for construction of a new $16 million elementary school wing. The Knox Community School Board has not indicated whether they plan to pursue the issue again during next year’s regular election cycle. In the meantime, Ritz says she will help the schools in any way she can. Ritz addressed members of the Professional Educators Partnership at Valparaiso University.

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Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Most of the staff hired will be at the elementary school level while others were hired for English, Algebra, World Literature/Spanish, Social Studies, P.E., Graphics, and Economics at the middle and high school levels. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said some of the teachers will not be needed as it depends on training and enrollment for certain classes.

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The Knox Community School Board heard a presentation on reading textbooks from the Director of Curriculum and Instruction Peggy Shidaker, and Lori White, a third grade teacher last night.

They explained that every six years, a new textbook is needed for Kindergarten through the sixth grade level. Administrators, teachers and reading coaches on the textbook committee dissected five different companies for the right curriculum for the needs of the students.

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Voters in California, Center and Washington townships are eligible to vote on a public question offered by the Knox Community School Board concerning a construction and remodeling project in the Palmer Wing at the elementary school.

Absentee voting is available today and tomorrow from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Starke County Courthouse. The last day to vote absentee in-office is Monday from 8 a.m. to noon. The polls will be open on Election Day Tuesday, May 7 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A total of 207 in-office absentee ballots have been cast, 32 mail-in ballots received and 8 travel board votes collected.

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Superintendent A.J. Gappa

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An opportunity is available for you to see what the Knox Community School Board is looking to do in terms of renovation and construction at the Knox Elementary School if the voters approve a public question that will be offered on the May 7 ballot.

You will be able to tour the Palmer Wing of the Knox Elementary School tomorrow from 6–7 p.m. CT. Your tour will begin in the old all-purpose room at the east end of the elementary building.

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Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Superintendent A.J. Gappa said a 14-passenger mini-bus will be purchased.

“This bus will be wheelchair-equipped,” explained Gappa. “The reason we wanted to move now was because the price of mini-buses will increase next month so we did beat the price increase. The recommendation was for a Collins mini-bus.”

The bus will be delivered this summer.

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Superintendent A.J. Gappa

“Teachers will return Aug. 12 and students will return on Aug. 13 which is a Tuesday,” explained Gappa. “The last day of school, if everything goes according to plan, would be May 29 with the records day on May 30. Commencement would be Friday, June 6, 2014. There would be two weeks off at Christmastime and three days off for Thanksgiving break. Good Friday next year will fall on April 18 so that is not part of spring break. We also have three contingency days built into the calendar for snow days.”

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This year may be an off-year for elections, but there will be a special election in Starke County this May.

The Knox Community School Board is offering a public question on the May ballot that concerns a construction and rehabilitation project at the Palmer Wing section of the Knox Elementary School. The school board has conducted studies and received public input about the need to reconstruct a portion of the building and remodel another section in order to move forward with education needs at the facility.

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Knox Community School Corporation Technology Director Jim Landrum was recognized by the school board during their recent meeting.

Landrum attended the Indiana Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) where he presented the school’s one-to-one computer initiative.

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