Michelle Davies | The Journal Gazette
Barb Dusseau pushes neighbors Isabella Rash, 7, and brother Gabriel, 6, down a backyard hill while little sister, Julianne, 4, looks on Sunday. Previous Next
Monday, February 01, 2021 1:00 am
City sees most snowfall since 16
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
Plows are continuing to clear Fort Wayne s side streets after the biggest snowfall in years.
As snow continued to fall Sunday afternoon, measurements varied from 6 to 9 inches in the area, with 8.2 inches reported at Fort Wayne International Airport as of 1 p.m., said meteorologist Nathan Marsili of the National Weather Service of Northern Indiana.
About 2 inches fell Saturday night while 6.2 inches fell Sunday, making it the third-highest recorded snowfall for Jan. 31, Marsili said. The record was set in 1982 with 10.8 inches, he said.
NIKI KELLY | The Journal Gazette
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana s sprawling school choice program would become even larger – and cost around $100 million more per year – under a bill that would also create an even more generous education savings account system.
The proposal comes as teacher pay continues to lag the nation, and legislators are scrambling to provide even an inflationary bump to fund traditional K-12 schools.
“We should take that money and instead of expanding vouchers start to address the teacher shortage we have,” said Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute. “We are still in a pandemic and need to provide ample resources to public schools that continue to educate 90% of the children. Now is not the time to expand a robust voucher system.”
Schools torn on time out of class
CDC suggests 14 days but say as low as 10 after virus
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
Allen County school districts are divided about updated quarantine guidelines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends a 14-day quarantine period, but the agency announced last month that quarantined students and employees could return to school and work on Day 11 if certain conditions were met.
Fort Wayne Community Schools has stuck to the 14-day rule, but the three other school systems have adopted the revised guidance.
“You re going to find, in every district, a slightly different interpretation of whether to do this or not,” Superintendent Phil Downs told the Southwest Allen County Schools board last week.
SACS superintendent sets plan to retire
Downs informs board he ll be on till Dec. 31
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
Superintendent Phil Downs added another task Tuesday to the Southwest Allen County Schools board s to-do list: find another district leader.
But he assured the five members they have time to hire his successor. He won t retire until Dec. 31.
“Your legacy is that incredible group of administrators and staff and teachers that we have here,” board President Brad Mills said. “We know we have an incredible team, and that s the best gift you could give us.”
Downs said he is proud of Southwest Allen employees.
SACS considers pay boost for subs
Other districts have done so to alleviate shortage
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
A school district that s seen its substitute teacher pool shrink dramatically because of the pandemic is looking to boost those employees pay.
But leaders of Southwest Allen County Schools acknowledge the $5 boost to the daily rate might not expand the roster of subs.
“I m not sure how much more we re going to attract,” said LuAnn Erickson, human resources director. “I think people want to be at Southwest, they want to be subs here, and everybody s struggling with finding enough subs.”
Erickson brought the proposal to the school board last week, months after Fort Wayne Community Schools and East Allen County Schools raised compensation for their substitute teachers.