Valparaiso Community Schools

Valparaiso Community Schools is already seeing an impact from its energy savings projects.

The removal of a Progress Pride flag from a Valparaiso High School classroom drew a number of impassioned comments during Thursday's school board meeting.

Last week's Valparaiso mayoral election will leave a vacancy on the Valparaiso Community School Board, and some community members already have ideas of who should fill it. Jon Costas will have to give up his school board seat when he returns to the mayor's office in January.

Local communities and school corporations are getting a funding boost for their public safety efforts. The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded more than $334 million in its latest round of grants.

Valparaiso continues to attract young families, judging by the latest school enrollment data. The September count showed that Valparaiso Community Schools had about 6,471 students, 64 more than last September.

The Valparaiso School Board has finalized the 2023-2024 teacher contract. It raises the starting salary to $53,100, a $2,100 increase. Returning teachers get a $2,800 raise, plus a one-percent, referendum-funded retention stipend at the end of this semester.

Valparaiso Community Schools teachers can expect another pay raise this year.

Valparaiso Community Schools is adding propane school buses to its fleet. The school board Thursday approved the purchase of four propane buses from MacAllister Power Systems for $593,196 or $587,196 after trade-in.

Valparaiso Community Schools may soon be adding propane school buses to its fleet. Chief Financial Officer Jim Holifield discussed the possibility during the school board's hearing on the bus replacement plan last week.

Energy savings projects are moving forward at Valparaiso Community Schools. The school board Thursday approved various agreements for a $5.8 million guaranteed savings contract.