Academic Spotlight: IREAD Accountability

Aimee Lunsford, WCS Chief Academic Officer, shared an Academic Spotlight focused on literacy and 2026 IREAD results. WCS achieved an 89.4% passing rate, a three-percentage-point increase from 2025 and above the 2026 state average of 88.7%. We continue to work toward the goal of a 95% passing rate.

Over the past two years, WCS has seen growth across several student groups, including a 7% increase for general education students, a 4.5% increase for special education students and a 4.8% increase for multilingual learners. WCS has also completed a two-year overhaul of thr literacy framework with a focus on alignment with the Science of Reading.

Current literacy supports include an extended IREAD Club with aligned curriculum, a rewritten and more focused summer school curriculum, Kindergarten Boost Groups, BYC tutoring groups and a partnership with Grace College’s Center for Literacy and Learning that supports 60 students. WCS has also worked to create aligned systems for monitoring student progress across buildings.

Looking ahead, WCS will continue refining alignment across buildings, increasing precision and responsiveness in literacy instruction, and strengthening collaboration with Special Education and Multilingual Learner departments.

Student Council Update: Ms. Lilliana Rak

WCHS Student Council President and Senior Lilliana Rak provided the Board with an update as students prepare for Homecoming this weekend. Each Student Council member selected a committee to help support Homecoming activities, including the theme for the week, dance, parade and Homecoming Court. This year’s Homecoming theme is “Fairytales,” with each class and many clubs/sports teams creating a parade float around the theme. The Homecoming dance will take place at the main entrance of WCHS.

Lilliana also continued a Student Council tradition by sharing the countdown for the school year: 151 days of school remain!

Human Resources and Financial Update

The Board approved the September 2026 Personnel Report and the August 2026 financial reports.

The Board also approved two donations supporting WCS students and programs.  The donations presented to the Board totaled $3,000.

Additional Appropriation Hearing and Bond Resolutions: Mr. Steven Boyer

Steven Boyer, CFO, presented information related to an additional appropriation hearing and several bond resolutions. Items included an Additional Appropriation Resolution, Final Bond Resolution and resolutions related to refunding 2016 and 2018 bonds.

2027 Budget Hearing: Mr. Steven Boyer

Steven Boyer presented the 2027 Budget Hearing (to provide an overview of WCS’s anticipated revenues, expenditures, tax rates and funding for the coming year).

Steven shared several highlights of the proposed budget, including a projected net Operations Fund levy increase of $383,348, or 2.99%. WCS has also reduced Operations Fund spending in response to the current property-tax environment, with 2026 projected expenses approximately $3.4 million below the budgeted amount. State tuition revenue is projected to increase by $378,409, or 0.66%.

The anticipated 2027 budget totals approximately $108.6 million across the Rainy Day, Debt Service, Referendum Debt, Education and Operations funds. The anticipated total tax rate is 0.9036, compared with the 2026 certified rate of 0.8902. The Debt Service Fund tax rate is projected to decrease, and WCS’s overall tax rate remains 13.57% below the state average.

The Education Fund, which supports instructional expenses, is budgeted at approximately $59 million for 2027, while the Operations Fund, which supports facilities, maintenance and other operational expenses, is budgeted at approximately $28.3 million.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert presented the 2026–27 Enrollment Report, providing the Board with an update on current enrollment and areas that WCS continues to monitor.

Dr. Hoffert highlighted enrollment trends at several schools, including Claypool Elementary, where enrollment is currently 203 and has declined due to population shifts, and Harrison Elementary, where enrollment is 370 and housing shifts have contributed to enrollment changes. 

WCS is also closely monitoring a smaller kindergarten cohort, which was expected based on lower birth rates, as well as larger class sizes moving through the upper grade levels. The enrollment report will continue to help WCS monitor demographic changes and plan for student and building needs across Warsaw Schools.