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The Salem School Board approved earlier dismissal times for the 2024-25 school year. Superintendent Jill Mires explained that she, Transportation Director Ed Jordan and the school principals all worked together to make a plan for how to get the buses back to the bus compound earlier in the evenings because it starts to get dark early from about the end of October through the winter months.

Dismissal will start at Bradie Shrum Elementary School at 2:45 p.m., with late load buses being in the front of the fleet and loading beginning at 2:50 p.m. At the middle school, walkers and car riders will be held to let bus riders load first. Classes will end around 2:50 p.m. with buses being loaded from 2:57 - 3:00 p.m. The high school will hold student drivers until bus riders are loaded, dismissing at 3:00 p.m. with loading from 3:01 - 3:05 p.m.

Mires said early dismissal will also provide built-in PD time for teachers, as they will still be in the buildings until 3:30 p.m. She said all teachers will participate in the extra time after students have been released. Mires said this also allows the school to be more in line with the Prosser schedule. After school activities will also be able to begin earlier.

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Operation Back To School is back!

This program provides financial assistance to Indiana veteran families experiencing financial difficulty.

The program offers $500 per qualified dependent for back-to-school supplies and other school related expenses.

Families can begin applying on July 15. The application period closes on August 30.

Apply Now!

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Gina D. Walker, First Deputy of Election and Voter Services for the Washington County Clerk of the Courts. has released an abbreviated list of county school board candidates for the 2024 General Election, which will be November 5.

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Secured School Safety Grant

Application period now open

IDHS is accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2025 Secured School Safety Grant (FY24 SSSG). The application period will close July 1, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. EDT. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity for FY25 SSSG includes all the information necessary for a successful grant application for the SSSG program. Before submitting your application:

Be registered in IntelliGrants.
Have an active bidder number with the state of Indiana.
Have an active supplier number with the state of Indiana.
Sign up for Grant updates.

The period of performance for the FY25 SSSG will be Sept. 1, 2024, through Aug. 31, 2025.

Since 2014, Indiana has awarded more than $163 million in SSSG grants to support school security. Last year, 474 schools received more than $29.8 million in awards.

Click here for complete information on the SSSG program and the history of awards distributed.

What is an allowable expense for the FY25 SSSG?

The program supports a dedicated state grant fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools or a coalition of school corporations and/or charter schools applying jointly to:

Employ a school resource officer (SRO) or law enforcement officer (LEO).
Conduct a site vulnerability assessment and/or critical incident digital mapping.
Purchase equipment, hardware, materials and technology to:
1. Restrict access to school property and classrooms; or
2. Assist with visitor management on school property; or
3. Expedite notification of first responders; or
4. Expedite access to school property for first responders; or
5. Provide school staff with information about the open or closed status of interior and exterior doors; or
6. Detect fire, chemical, visual or audible threats; or
7. Enhance emergency communications inside the building; or
8. Assist with emergency medical response on school property; or
Implement a student and parent support services plan.
Purchase or provide training for a canine trained to detect drugs and illegal substances, explosives, or firearms or to otherwise provide protection for students and school employees.
Provide funding for school employees to receive training, including expenses for per diem, travel and lodging related to eligible training.
Provide funding for school resource officer or law enforcement officer to receive training, including expenses for per diem, travel and lodging, related to handing a trained canine.
Design and construct additions or renovations on school property if the primary purpose is to enhance the physical security of the school building.
Implement a bullying prevention program.
Purchase a one-time non-matching grant to enable school corporations to work with their sheriff to provide the initial set up costs for an active event warning system.
Provide a response to a threat in a manner that the school corporation or charter school sees fit, including firearms training (curriculum now defined) or other self-defense training or securing funds for counseling in the event of a school shooting.
Purchase student management technology.

For more information, submit your questions to the Grant Management support ticket.

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By Abigail Shields, Website Editor

Salem, Eastern, and West Washington have announced dates and times for each of their graduation ceremonies, respectively.

Salem’s is May 25 at 2 PM at Brooks Memorial Gymnasium. Salem will graduate 120 seniors in this year’s class. The class president is Brooklyn Davisson. Salem has been very fortunate with scholarships given to the graduating class through the Salem Education Foundation, the Washington County Community Foundation as well as scholarships given to the students through their respective colleges and institutions. Two students from Salem will be going into the military and they are Draven Miller and Corey Ziegler. The featured speakers for the ceremony will be Brooklyn Davisson and Carolyn Casey.

Eastern will hold their graduation ceremony on May 24 at 7 PM in the gymnasium. The senior class will have 83 graduating this year, which is a smaller class size than in years past. Kaden Temple is the senior class president. Anakin McCormick was awarded the Lily scholar and is also this year’s salutatorian. Eastern did not have anyone going into the military at this time. The featured speakers are Anakin McCormick and Glen Gosnell who is the valedictorian for the class.

West Washington’s graduation ceremony is May 24 at 7:30 PM at Kermit Tower Gymnasium, also known as the sunken gym. There are 59 members of the senior class who will be graduating this year. The class presidents are Titan Williams and Riley Hall. West Washington has several notable scholarships this year. Katlyn Wingler received $10,000 from JoJo’s Jumpstart Foundation, Eva O'Toole and Audra Loughmiller each received $5,000 from the Kayde Sue Foundation, Riley Hall received the Winchester Scholarship from Kentucky Wesleyan College which is $80,000, and Elliot Nance received the Adam W Herbert Presidential Scholarship from Indiana University Southeast which is $48,000. The speakers for the ceremony are Titan Williams, Riley Hall, Kenton Chase, Jaxson Cambron, Cash Long and Elliot Nance.