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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
The Knox Community School Board received an update on how the third through eighth grade students performed on the NWEA testing in January.
The Starke County Election Board has formally approved a public question presented by the Knox Community School Board to be placed on a ballot for a special election set for May 7.
The question pertains to the proposed Knox Elementary School renovation and construction project. The Department of Local Government Finance has approved the wording of the question to be placed on the ballot and it has been certified by the Starke County auditor.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa explained that the issue surrounded the public question that will be offered to voters in the Knox school district in May.
“We’re creating a Title One Preschool program at the Knox Elementary School, so the board did approve the transfer of kindergarten teacher, Jana Hazelton, to become the preschool teacher. They also approved the hire of Robyn Griffith to be the preschool paraprofessional in that classroom. Marla Krulik was hired to be the kindergarten teacher to replace Jana Hazelton for the rest of the current school year,” stated Gappa.
We’ll have more on the upcoming preschool program in a future newscast.
The Knox Community School Board was updated on the public question that will be presented to voters in the school district on May 7. Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave this status to the school board members.
“The DLGF did approve the ballot language to be placed on the referendum ballot so that information now goes to the local county election board who will have a meeting to adopt that resolution and move forward from there,” said Gappa.
The Starke County Election Board will be meeting Thursday, Jan. 31 to discuss the public question to be presented to the Knox Community School District voters in a special election on May 7. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
The election board must approve the school board’s request to have the public question on the ballot. Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski said this is the first time in a non-election year that a special election has been requested in many, many years. She added that only voters in the six Center Township precincts, California Township 1 and 2, and Washington Township 1 and 2 will be able to vote on the public question.
The Knox Community School Board is looking for a candidate to fill a position on the Starke County Library Board. Superintendent A.J. Gappa announced the resignation of the school board’s appointment last week.
“The board did accept the resignation of Nick Jacobs as their representative on the library board,” stated Gappa. “There is an open position for anyone interested in being on the library board. You can submit your name to the superintendent’s office at the Knox Community School Corporation.”
For more information, call (574) 772-1600.
“Mrs. Hazelton brought in five of her cheerleaders who talked about the efforts that they made for the American Cancer Society last fall,” said Gappa. “They made over $1,800 to donate to the cancer fund.”
Gappa added that most of the money was collected in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Knox Community School Board approved a motion to place a public question on the ballot in May for voters in the school district regarding the proposed elementary school project.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said no community member spoke out against the project in a public hearing held on Dec. 3 regarding the proposed project, so the issue now goes to the voters.
The Knox Community School Board honored Board President Harold Welter and fellow board member Nathan Marcum Monday as they attended their last board meeting as members Monday night. Superintendent A.J. Gappa presented the pair with engraved clocks as a momentum of their time served on the board. Welter also received a plaque for serving as the Board’s President. Welter and Marcum were not re-elected to their positions in the November General Election.
The Knox Community School Board recognized a few eighth grade students during their meeting this week for their experiences at the Reality Store. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said Mrs. Ciboch, instructor of Family and Consumer Sciences at the middle school, brought in the students to make the report to the board.
