Fort Wayne Community Schools

After editorials, we'll read the TV listings, sports, and announcements.

The headlines from the front page of the Thursday, October 22nd Journal-Gazette are Student Absenteeism Declines Again Fourth Consecutive Year's Statewide Success Story State Okays FWCS At-Large Changes Districts Plan Staggers Election Cycle for Seats New floodplain designation will reduce insurance costs, officials say.

Don Chavez allowed to stay at location up to two more years.

Now, here's the first article.

The local rates range from 5.5% at Southwest Allen County Schools to 21.1% at Fort Wayne Community Schools, according to the state's Attendance Insights Dashboard.

The online resource eddata.doe.in.gov slash publichome provides district and school-level data dating to the 2021 year.

FWCS's latest rate is worse than the previous year's rate of about 21%, but is better than five years ago when it surpassed 27%, according to the dashboard.

The district communicates with families about the importance of regular attendance, spokesperson Scott Murray said in an email.

A tentative agreement has not been announced at Southwest Allen County Schools.

Fort Wayne Community Schools is operating under a two-year agreement that expires next summer.

Of the four local districts, FWCS offers the highest starting teacher pay, $50,000.

Three organizations have teamed up to offer a combination ticket for admission to three festive events.

At-large candidate quits FWCS board race.

A Fort Wayne Community Schools board candidate is dropping out of the at-large race, but his Monday announcement came too late to erase his name from ballots.

In a social media post, Brandon Foster described the decision as difficult, but said he could not turn down full-time work with health benefits.

He accepted a position out of state, prompting a move.

He received associate and bachelor degrees from Purdue University, Fort Wayne, and a Master of Social Work from Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis.

He was employed by International Harvester, LS Ayers, and Fort Wayne Community Schools.

He retired from Fort Wayne Community Schools after 34 years.

He loved working with students and throughout the years was greeted by former students he had worked with.

He also was a family and marriage therapist who worked with several agencies.

Sexual violence raises even more troubling questions about whether students feel safe reporting misconduct and whether adults take those warnings seriously.

Recent events in Fort Wayne illustrate what's at stake.

A lawsuit filed against Fort Wayne Community Schools alleges that officials failed to protect a Northside High School student who says she was sexually assaulted by another student in February.

"I learned about knowing when to show emotion.

I learned it's not always about speaking up, but to sit back and listen, to learn, so then you can be in their place one day." Teagan Dostal, a participant from Fort Wayne Community Schools, hopes the master class will benefit her upcoming auditions for collegiate musical theater programs.

She wants to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater.

"I hope to be coached on some of my audition material and to be able to grow and fine-tune that for the colleges," Dostal said.

When we equip young Hoosiers with the skills they need before graduation, we're investing in their future success as well as Indiana's long-term prosperity.

Nearly 3,300 high schoolers, including 200 from Northeast Indiana, graduated with the College Corps in 2024, a 25% increase from the previous year, according to the most recent information available from the commission.

Locally, 135 Allen County students graduated with the credit block two years ago, 48 from Southwest Allen County Schools, 47 from East Allen County Schools, and 40 from Fort Wayne Community Schools.

The Northwest Allen County Schools Board in late 2024 approved a memorandum of understanding with Indiana University to launch the program at Carroll High School.

One-time seventeen million dollar gift to address non-academic barriers.

Fort Wayne Community Schools announced Monday it will soon launch a listening tour to gather input for a seventeen million dollar grant opportunity addressing non-academic barriers students face.

It's a one-time shot, school board president Noah Smith said after the meeting Monday.

It's not guaranteed to ever come back, so we want to take this seventeen point five million dollars and use it responsibly and effectively to get the best outcomes to help support our kids.

NACS sets public hearing on proposed teachers contract by Ashley Sloboda of the Journal Gazette.

Beginning teachers at Northwest Allen County Schools will annually earn $750 more pending ratification of a new one-year contract, bringing the starting base salary to $47,750.

This will likely keep the district at the bottom for beginning teacher pay among the four local districts, where such salaries already range from $48,273 at East Allen County Schools to $50,000 at Fort Wayne Community Schools.

Other contracted changes proposed at NACS would result in an average 3% salary increase according to the district.

"I'm telling you, this is my whole-- I'm telling you this with my whole heart," Perez said.

"It's been such a great experience for me and my kids that I want other people to experience this." Fort Wayne Community Schools and other school districts could use more people like Perez.

During the last academic year, Fort Wayne Community Schools resorted to remote learning and delays and early dismissals when staffing challenges came to a head.

As of September thirtieth, FWCS employed one hundred and fifty-four bus drivers and still looking for twenty-five more across both full-time and substitute positions.

East Allen County Schools had seventy-two full-time drivers but was looking for up to at least eight more, while Southwest Allen County Schools had sixty-four full-time drivers with three open spots.

Candidates could pick a party, but only one did.

The Fort Wayne Community Schools at-large race will bring at least one new face to the board, and it will test the electability of an incumbent who switched seats midterm.

The two seats will carry different term lengths, two and four years, so only one will be up for election in each cycle, beginning in 2028.

The board approved the change in the spring.

Ultimately, I believe effective advocacy means being a strong, informed voice for our students, educators, families, and community.

Ann Smith's response.

We must maintain an ongoing dialogue with state legislators to share our experiences and highlight the district impact their policies have on school districts like Fort Wayne Community Schools.

As a representative of FWCS, I consistently advocate for traditional public education and what best serves our students.

Incumbent faces repeat hopeful for FWCS board.

The matchup for a Fort Wayne Community Schools board seat will be a repeat race between a four-term incumbent and a challenger who is twice run for election.

Jeanette Jaquish has been Julie Hollingsworth's only opponent for the District 1 seat since Hollingsworth defeated two others to join the board in 2011.

Hollingsworth, a retired FWCS teacher and coach, retained her post four years ago by winning 71% of the votes.