Eastern Pulaski School Board Approves 2012 Budget

Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

Eastern Pulaski School Corporation is one of only two systems in the state that are on a fiscal year budget. The rest are on calendar year.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said that the board received and approved the budget for the year this week. The budget will begin in July of 2012.

“Senator Charbonneau called and I talked with him and he is interested in looking at some legislation that would have all schools move towards a fiscal year budget,” said Dr. Klitzman. “When you stop and think about it, you call it a fiscal year budget, but really it’s a school year budget. We start a school year in August and our budget starts in July so there’s some benefits to it. On the other side of it, I do understand why some folks don’t want to change. It’s something they’re used to and they do it as a routine and as we all know change is difficult and quite frankly, I don’t think it’ll get changed. What I’m most interested in is that they leave us alone and we can do our projects the way we want to and so far they’ve done that. If they want to change I’m all for it.”

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Holds Budget Public Hearing

The Eastern Pulaski School Board held a Public Hearing regarding the Corporation’s fiscal-year budget.

“At our last meeting in November, there was a work session with the Board and went through the entire budget – every account, every fund – and then asked for authorization to advertise. That’s all by statute. We did have the Public Hearing and from this point on, we will go to our January meeting and I will ask the Board to approve the budget. At that time, I’ll send it into the state,” said Superintendent, Dr. Robert Klitzman.

Eastern Pulaski School Board to Consider Semester Change at High School

Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Winamac High School currently works on tri-semesters instead of two semesters, but Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said that may change.

“We’re on tri-semesters and that’s been a very good approach for us in scheduling classes for our high school students but the State has really put a monkey wrench into that process in that the State Assessments do not follow the tri-semester schedule very well. Our students are having to take the State Assessment which has a lot of meaning. So, we’re looking to see if the best fit now for our students and their performance would be a typical two semester program versus the three semester. I’ve been working with the high school staff through their curriculum leaders and gathering input as to what makes sense.”

Helping Hands Program Helps Students at Eastern Pulaski Schools

Even though we think of public education as being free, there are books, supplies, and meals that students need to fund. If a family has a number of children, those expenses can add up fast. At Eastern Pulaski schools, Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says a Helping Hands program has been established to help those children whose families find it difficult to fund their needs.

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Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Placed on Probation

Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Board placed Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman on contractual probation for the next year. The Board has agonized over what disciplinary action to take following Dr. Klitzman’s arrest for operating a vehicle with an alcohol content over the legal limit in July.

The Superintendent called the whole matter “humbling” and vowed to follow the Board’s action.

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Homecoming Activities Begin Today in Winamac

Homecoming activities begin today in Winamac.

“We’ll be playing Tri-County on Friday,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman. “We have all of the traditional festivities. We’ll have our homecoming on Thursday. After the parade, we’ll end up at the football field and we’ll have a community pep rally where our school and community get together with one focus. We’ll try and generate enough excitement and enthusiasm for our students and players to have a really good showing at our football game Friday night.”

Parents Express Interest in Sending Children to Eastern Pulaski Schools, Not Culver

Monterey Elementary School

Monterey Town Board President Jim Fleury said this week that he and a group of residents in the town are exploring the possibility of withdrawing from the Culver Community School System. Fleury said a number of parents of children in Tippecanoe Township have expressed interest in sending their Elementary school students to Eastern Pulaski Schools instead of Culver.

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Seeking New Athletic Director

The Eastern Pulaski School Board is in search of a new Athletic Director.

“Our Athletic Director/Assistant Principal, J.D. Dubes, did resign and he has taken an Assistant Principal position with Logansport High School,” said Superintendent, Dr. Robert Klitzman. “Mr. Dubes had been with us for three or four years and most recent years served a dual role as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director when Mr. Sheller left us. We are already in the search mode to replace Mr. Dubes with either an Athletic Director/Assistant Principal or an Athletic Director/Dean of Students position.”

Eastern Pulaski School Corporation to Retain Tuition Policy

Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The State has changed the way schools are funded whereas a school’s General Fund is funded by the State. The Eastern Pulaski School Board agreed last year that because of the change, the Corporation will not charge a tuition fee if the student was in the Corporation on the State Count Day. Superintendent, Dr. Robert Klitzman, says they hope to continue that practice.

“Nothing has changed at the state level so I asked the Board to extend that beyond this year until something changes,” he said. “The Board did agree to keep that at status quo so we will not be charging tuition for those students that are officially enrolled in our School Corporation on the official count date.”

Culver Community Schools Tracking Direction of Monterey Elementary Students

Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt

Since the closing of the Monterey Elementary School, there have been rumors that some of the students will go to the Eastern Pulaski School system, instead of going into Culver Community.

Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt was asked if he anticipates losing students because of the closure.

“We expected this to be an issue, and in fact, when we did some financial planning, the numbers that we used did include a reduction of students over the next two years,” said Schuldt. “Of course the big question is going to be how many students will be moving. That is a number that is changing rather regularly. I know that some of the families have requested transcripts to be sent to a new school corporation. That’s pretty much how we can keep track of people who have actually made the move.”

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Discusses Legislation Passed in General Assembly; Fall Registration

Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent, Dr. Robert Klitzman shared a few pieces of legislation that came out of the General Assembly with the School Board members at their recent meeting.

“Teacher evaluation is going to be more geared toward student data and how the students have improved in their actual achievement,” said Dr. Klitzman. “That’s going to be folded into the evaluation for teachers. Collective bargaining has been greatly restricted. Over the years, collective bargaining with our teachers has grown more and more and that’s through an agreement on both sides. It’s not a one sided thing. Our legislature passed a bill that limits what you can bargain so even if a school and a Teacher’s Association wants to go and bargain other things, legally they can not. This is what’s put in the statute.”

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