Several donations have been made by businesses and individuals toward the acquisition of a new grand piano for the music department at the Winamac High School. Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said the Winamac Music Boosters’ quest is moving along.
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.”
Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman compiled data that compares the tax rates of the Eastern Pulaski School Corporation and schools in the area. He gave that report to the Board.
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.”
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.
“We’re moving ahead getting ready for the 201-2012 school year.” That was what was said yesterday by Culver Community School Corporation Superintendent, Brad Schuldt.
Since the announcement of the closure of the Monterey Elementary School, there have been preliminary efforts by some in Tippecanoe Township in Pulaski County to lead an effort to break the township away from Culver Community Schools, and attach it to another district, possibly Eastern Pulaski Schools.
Schuldt would not speculate on whether Culver would fight such a move, saying only, “That would be a board decision.”
As far as a number of students leaving and going to Eastern Pulaski next school year, Schuldt would only say “we won’t know that figure until the first day of school.” Even though students could go without paying tuition, Tippecanoe’s taxes would still support the Culver Community School Corporation.
The maintenance staff at the Eastern Pulaski School Corporation has been busy with several projects this summer.
“In our Elementary Gym, we’re completing the project of switching out those very expensive-to-run lights that take five minutes to turn on,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman of the energy efficient upgrades. “We’re removing all of those and putting in very efficient tube lights. We have found in doing this that we’re using far less fixtures that we had the old way so we are doing that ourselves internally and just buying the materials. We feel like we’re going to be saving in the cost of installation as well as in the operation of the materials.”
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.
