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Wabash City Schools board approves handbook and multiple hires; acknowledges teacher salary shortfall
Summary
At its July 20 meeting, the Wabash City Schools board approved the 2026–27 student handbook, confirmed a slate of coaching and staff hires (including a 5th-grade teacher at a $48,250 starting salary) and acknowledged the district did not meet the state teacher salary requirement for the 2025–26 fiscal year. The board also reviewed financial reports and set its next meeting for Aug. 3, 2026.
The Wabash City Schools Board on July 20 approved the district's 2026'27 student handbook, accepted a consent agenda that included financial reports, and confirmed multiple personnel appointments, while formally acknowledging the district did not meet the state teacher salary requirement for the 2025'26 fiscal year.
Board Chair called the meeting to order, led the pledge of allegiance and welcomed new superintendent Dr. Chris Daughtry. The chair then moved the meeting to the consent agenda, which included minutes from June 29, claims, donations and the district financial statements. "All those in favor of approving the consent agenda, say aye," the Chair said; members voted aye and the motion passed.
A staff member presenting the financials asked board members for feedback on a revised presentation format and noted the end-of-June operations balance was higher than projected after a tax draw. "Hopefully, you had a chance to take a look at the financials and see if that is the way that you guys kinda want those presented," the staff member said. The presenter added that previous boards had preferred month-by-month line graphs and asked members to identify any formatting preferences.
Under new business, the board recorded a public acknowledgment that the teacher salary requirement for the 2025'26 fiscal year was not met and said it would post the acknowledgment on the corporation website. A staff member described the item as an acknowledgment and offered a critique of the legislative requirement: "when the legislators put a requirement in, that's fairly arbitrary as far as what they chose," the staff member said, adding that the mandate had placed many schools in a difficult position.
The board approved the 2026'27 LHC handbook after a brief discussion about formatting and staffing updates. The chair called for the vote and members approved the handbook by voice vote.
The board also approved a number of hires. It voted to employ Angela Childers as a WMHS 5th-grade teacher at a starting salary of $48,250 for the 2026'27 school year; members discussed Childers' background and her gifted-and-talented certification. The board approved a long slate of coaches and athletic staff for the coming year, including Justin Denny (assistant athletic director), Katie Cromer (varsity volleyball), Paul Wright (varsity boys basketball) and others as read by the chair.
On transportation, the board approved Tracy Wren and Sam Schindler as vocational route drivers for 2026'27 and recorded ride-along observation hours for several employees, noting a $17-per-hour stipend for observers completing required training. A staff member explained the district currently does not have an official trainer and described steps to meet driver certification requirements more quickly. The transcript records the chair calling for a vote on the drivers' hours, but the final tally is not recorded in the available transcript.
The board announced its next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, at Wabash City Hall. Several routine personnel approvals and the handbook vote were completed during the meeting; the public acknowledgment about the teacher salary requirement will be posted on the district website.
