Tippecanoe Valley Middle School Principal Scott Backus speaks at the Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, at TVMS. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

AKRON — The Tippecanoe Valley School Board has received its annual update on Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.

At its regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, at TVMS, the board heard information from TVMS Principal Scott Backus.

He first updated the board on teacher and student demographics.

The majority of TVMS teachers have taught for less than 10 years, he said. He mentioned there are 435 kids in the school, split about evenly among the three classes.

Backus noted 210 students are “on free lunch” and one out of three has some type of special learning they’re involved in.

He said 46 students “are high ability,” and noted he’d worked with Tippecanoe Valley High School Principal Brandon Kresca to get high school credit courses at the middle school.

Backus said the school’s Catch-Up Café, which helps students complete missing homework assignments during lunchtime, is working, with 97% of missing assignments having been completed through it.

Regarding new elements at the school, Backus said Viking Threads has been started to provide clothing items for those in need.

TVMS was also named a Red Wagon School for the last school year for its donations to Riley Children’s Hospital, Backus noted among highlights.

At the meeting, the board also:

• Approved the hiring of TVMS paraprofessional Adrian Allen and night custodian Shanna Bailey, Akron Elementary School special education instructional assistant Brooklyn Kamp, TVHS instructional assistant Sammi Shriver and TVSC business manager Eric Speicher.
• Approved Eric Hudson as the TVHS head coed cross-country coach and Amanda Carnes and Susan Walker as the co-coaches of the Akron math team.
• Accepted the resignations of special education instructional assistant Sherlyn Ortiz, bus driver Kari Thompson, Akron math team coach Chris Rassi, Mentone Elementary School instructional assistant Karissa Johnson and cafeteria worker Colton McCane and TVHS track coaches Rick Shepherd and Christopher Secrist.
• Accepted $1,000 from Pike Lumber Co. of Akron to replace exterior park benches at TVMS and $1,443 from Rochester Grace Church for the TVMS’ Viking Vittles program, which provides food to students in need.
• Heard an update on TVHS activities from student representatives Benton Nellans and Marisol Gonzalez-Ramirez. FFA Week is ongoing, with the public dinner at 6 p.m. and worker auction at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at TVHS. National Honor Society’s food drive just finished and the varsity esports team just placed fifth at a tournament.

The board’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, at TVHS.