Boone Twp. welcomes new teacher

HEBRON | The Boone Township Board of School Trustees welcomed new Hebron High School social studies teacher Michael Witzel in their February meeting Tuesday evening.

Trustees also accepted a $300 donation from Nathaniel Weaver, the parent of two students in the district. Weaver, who works for BP, presented the district with the donation, which is from the BP Fabric of America Fund.

Hebron Elementary School Principal Jim Martin said the school would purchase science materials and books for students.

"I thought that was pretty nice for someone to give $300," Superintendent George Letz said.

Letz said school funding was going to be "very difficult" due to recent legislative funding cuts.

"This is through no fault of our own," Letz said. "The reduction comes from outside actions. It's nothing we've done here."

Letz said that other school funds supported by property taxes are "all in good shape."

"In all those funds we have good cash reserves," Letz said. "We're OK there."

Letz also told the board he received four quotes for liability insurance, which the board will review at the March meeting, and the district is working with Project Attend, a truancy reduction program, involving the Porter County prosecutor's office and the Porter County Juvenile Probation Center.

"We're going to have a meeting with prosecutor and the Project Attend people and talk about some of the cases we have here with kids who are not going to school," said Letz. "It's a very good program. We want to use it more than we have in the past."

Board member Donald Fry requested Letz investigate the possibility of naming a school building or road to honor former longtime school trustee Charles Osborn.

"Charlie did great things for this community and this school," Fry said. "In some way, I think we need to honor him."