Centerville-Abington Community Schools is developing plans for live online instruction if more weather calamities arise yet this year.
And, facing additional needs for career counseling and programming from new diploma requirements, CACS is creating a full-time role.
Online instruction
CACS successfully applied for a weather waiver day, so school won’t have to be in session on the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
However, with weeks of winter still to go, school officials are concerned about the possibility of adding more days in late May.
Thus, administrators and teachers are developing plans for live (also called synchronous) online instruction as other area districts do. They agree that independent online learning hasn’t been beneficial. They also believe it’s best if students can interact with teachers during a snow day.
Teachers now support live online instruction by a wide margin, Superintendent Mike McCoy told the board during its Feb. 11 meeting.
When snow days were used in December, some students weren’t able to get 75 hours of experience. Student credits and some course reimbursements were affected because makeup days are added to the second semester.
Indiana requires 3 hours of instruction for grades 7-12 and 2½ hours for grades K-6 so the day won’t have to be made up.
Families would need to work through any technology issues with teachers and building administrators.
Grades K-2 don’t take devices home, so they’d still use learning packets, and grades 5-12 see multiple teachers in a day for short periods. However, grades three and four would log out and in after an hour because CACS doesn’t have a full Google Meet license.
McCoy will investigate costs for a longer license and whether that could be purchased as needed rather than an annual commitment that might go unused.
Live instruction wouldn’t begin until it’s ready, McCoy said.
Career position
McCoy and Director of Student Learning Tammy Chavis received board approval to create a full-time work-based learning/career coach coordinator position starting March 1.
One person is now working three days per week on those responsibilities, funded through a grant obtained by East Central Educational Service Center. Eastern Indiana Works hires that person.
Chavis noted that some high school students have to attend a 30-minute meeting regarding career opportunities in a group of five or fewer students, which adds up. In addition, schools are responsible for tracking student experiences in case of state audit.
The employee would work closely with Shawntel Baker, who serves as director of employer engagement for Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce and the county’s six high schools to secure internships, work-based learning and other career exploration activities.
In other business
No one spoke during a public hearing regarding McCoy’s proposed three-year contract, which the board then approved. His salary for 260 days will be $131,568.16 for the 2025-26 school year and $138,146.56 each for 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Personnel
- Pending hires: CSHS cafeteria cashier Graci Plyley; special education teaching assistants Ryan-Olivia Snyder (CAE), Tayler Rayne Hill (CJHS/CSHS)
- Rehire: Substitute bus driver David Pickering
- Coaching departures: Track and varsity football assistant Austin VanDevender; varsity football assistant Jacob Stewart
- Coaching hires: Randy Ecker, varsity girls tennis; Joe Jennings, reserve baseball; Briendle Fletcher, varsity baseball assistant; Jason Martintoni, reserve softball; Jeff Franklin, varsity softball assistant; Courtney Matthews, varsity track assistant. Volunteers: Susie Ecker, tennis; Kenzie Lanman, softball; Jeremy Blake, Allen Stewart and Oran Van Skyock, baseball
A version of this article appeared in the February 18 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.