WCS Board Recap Regular Board Meeting (Monday, May 18)
Girls Basketball Program Welcomes New Leadership, Kyle Hartman
To kick off the evening, Athletic Director Matt Binkerd introduced Kyle Hartman, the proposed basketball coach for the next chapter of WCHS Lady Tiger Basketball.
Mr. Binkerd shared plans for a special community introduction event to be held in the Tiger Den on Wednesday, May 20 at 6pm. The evening will feature a traditional press conference followed by a meet-and-greet opportunity for players, parents, students, and community members to connect with Coach Hartman as he begins his leadership role with the program.
Coach Hartman expressed his excitement about joining Warsaw and emphasized that building a strong culture will be one of the most important foundations of the program moving forward. He also highlighted the importance of youth development and investing in younger athletes to create long-term success for Lady Tiger Basketball. Hartman shared his enthusiasm about getting to work with the student-athletes and becoming part of the Warsaw community.
Hartman comes to Warsaw after three successful seasons as head coach at Fairfield, where he compiled an impressive 60-18 overall record and never won fewer than 18 games in a season. This past year, he guided the Falcons to the 2A Semi-State round, further solidifying his reputation as a strong leader and program builder.
He succeeds longtime coach Lenny Krebs, who is retiring after nine seasons leading the Lady Tigers.
Student Spotlight: Lincoln Elementary Leadership Day
During the student spotlight presentation, Lincoln Principal Hilary Stouder, Instructional Coach Holly Stanfill and Interventionist Shelby Beam shared highlights from the school’s recent Leadership Day celebration. Joining the presentation was Raven Burton, a student ambassador who provided firsthand insight into the impact of the school’s leadership initiatives.
The team brought student leadership portfolios for board members to explore, showcasing the tools students use throughout the school year to track goals, reflect on growth, and build leadership skills. Lincoln Elementary’s “Leader in Me” program is rooted in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and focuses on empowering students to take ownership of their learning and personal development.
Raven outlined the schedule for their Leadership Day, which began with a schoolwide assembly followed by a “Leader in Me” newscast video entirely created by students. Students wrote the scripts, produced the content and helped bring the presentation to life. Following the assembly, student ambassadors guided parents and community members on tours throughout the building, offering opportunities to observe leadership lessons in action, learn about classroom leadership roles, experience “Habits in Motion” activities, and gain a deeper understanding of the student portfolio process.
During her remarks, Raven shared the personal impact the program has had on her own development, explaining that the leadership habits have helped her become more organized and more responsible about turning assignments in on time. She also shared that her favorite habit is “Sharpen the Saw,” Habit 7 in the Leader in Me framework. The habit focuses on taking care of the whole person (physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually) through healthy choices, meaningful relationships, lifelong learning, and service to others. Raven explained how the habit encourages students to balance their responsibilities while also making time to help and care for those around them.
Mrs. Stouder also highlighted the importance of WIGs “Wildly Important Goals” which students establish throughout the year to encourage growth, accountability, and intentional goal-setting. In addition to the cultural impact, she shared measurable data demonstrating the program’s success at Lincoln Elementary. Lincoln has experienced a 20% decrease in office referrals, along with a 52.8% reduction in students receiving repeated referrals across multiple years. Attendance percentages have also continued to improve.
Board members also received student-created gifts, including handmade items such as cookies, candles, buttons, and other creations produced by individual students.
Student Council Update
Student representative Kristina Kolembe delivered her final Student Council update to the board, highlighting several memorable events and upcoming celebrations for the senior class.
Kristina shared that this year’s prom was a success. She also previewed upcoming senior activities, including Senior Jean Day, where graduating seniors will wear painted jeans representing the colleges, career paths, military service and secondary opportunities they plan to pursue after graduation. She noted that the annual Senior Walk also took place earlier in the day, giving graduating seniors the opportunity to walk through school buildings and be recognized by younger students and staff members throughout the district.
Kristina also provided an update on graduation preparations.
Consent Agenda Superintendent’s Report
The board concluded by approving the consent agenda, including personnel reports, out-of-state travel requests, financial reports, and the minutes from the April board meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Hoffert also presented his superintendent’s report and shared artwork and projects featured during the recent WCHS Fine Arts Festival. In addition, Dr. Hoffert discussed Indiana’s new “bell-to-bell” law, which all Indiana schools will be required to implement beginning next school year. He noted that Warsaw Community Schools is currently finalizing district guidelines and policies related to the legislation, with additional information expected to be shared with families and the community in the coming weeks.
Finally, Dr. David Hoffert provided an update on WCS’s ongoing long-term facility planning efforts focused on Lakeview Middle School, Edgewood Middle School, Gateway Education Center and the Warsaw Area Career Center (WACC).
Dr. Hoffert shared that the work is part of WCS’s ongoing 10-year facility plan designed to address aging infrastructure, improve student programming and operational efficiency and prepare for future needs while remaining fiscally responsible.
As part of the presentation, Dr. Hoffert highlighted WCS’s long history of strong financial planning, noting that WCS continues to maintain one of the lower tax rates in the state while paying off previous projects responsibly. He also emphasized that no referendum or tax increase is currently being proposed related to these discussions.
The report reviewed the current condition of Lakeview Middle School, which has served WCS students for more than 65 years and continues to house middle school students, Gateway Education Center programs and WACC programming. While structurally sound, Dr. Hoffert explained that the facility has significant infrastructure needs, including roofing, HVAC and ADA accessibility improvements.
Board members also heard an overview of the different facility options that have been studied over the past several years, including constructing a new facility, renovating the current Lakeview building and potential middle school consolidation options. Dr. Hoffert shared that district leaders have spent the past three years evaluating possibilities alongside multiple architectural and construction firms while also studying comparable school projects across Indiana.
The presentation highlighted that combining middle school operations at the Lakeview site could provide long-term efficiencies, expanded programming opportunities and continued space for Gateway and WACC programs while also allowing room for future growth.
Dr. Hoffert also shared that immediate infrastructure projects at Lakeview are anticipated to begin in Summer 2026 as WCS continues evaluating long-term plans and financing options.