Centerville-Abington Community Schools celebrated several academic successes and helping a neighboring district, and reviewed preliminary enrollment numbers.
Testing
During the Aug. 19 board meeting, CACS celebrated earning a 100% passing rate on IREAD, Indiana’s required reading test for second and third graders.
Assistant Superintendent Sean Stevenson said CACS was one of nine Indiana public school corporations to earn a perfect score.
Indiana Department of Education recently released data from the 2025-26 school year testing.
Stevenson said Centerville-Abington Elementary Principal Kelly VanWinkle attributed the success to teachers using formative assessments in the classroom. They obtain immediate feedback and adjust teaching strategies to help students achieve.
General and special education students all passed the test.
Rose Hamilton Elementary was commended for getting so many students to pass IREAD in second grade.
In separate testing, IDOE shows CACS the highest Indiana’s Alternate Measurement scores in Wayne County. IAM assesses growth and achievement for students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8 and high school.
When last year’s 11th graders took the SAT, CACS earned the county’s highest math scores and the second-highest reading and writing scores.**** Nettle Creek finished first in that subject.
Enrollment
CACS currently has 1,656 students in preschool through 12th grade before the official Oct. 1 count date. CACS has 19 fewer students from the last count date, which reduces funding, but it’s better news than the 60 fewer students last year.
Six students left CACS for the new microschool at Indiana University East. Four of them live in CACS boundaries; two previously came from Richmond.
CACS currently brings in 553 transfer students.
Assistance
Stevenson thanked Tami Scalzo, Angela Hughes, Kynlee Scalzo and Avery McCoy for helping him and Mike McCoy unload and store Western Wayne Schools’ frozen foods after its power went off during Aug. 12 flooding.
Nearly 10 CACS students have been affected by flooding and are being connected with resources, and some employees had personal property damage.
Chris Wisener and Travis Tollett received thanks for picking up donated skids of food for CACS students and the community yesterday that McCoy had obtained. McCoy thanked Acacia St. John, program director for Forward Wayne County, for helping organize getting food to the schools.
In other business
- CACS’ board thanked Reid Health for a $12,000 donation as part of the annual agreement allowing Reid Health to be CACS’ athletic healthcare provider.
- The public is invited to speak at a required annual hearing before negotiations begin with Centerville Education Association. It will be at 3:15 p.m. Sept. 9 at the administration building, 115 W. South St.
- The board approved the annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes retreat in Marion’s Shiloh Park.
Personnel
- Hires: Oran Van Skyock, junior/senior high permanent sub; Taylor Desena, 2030 class sponsor
- Departures: Jennifer Davis, junior high assistant swim coach; Brian McGunegill, CAE dishwasher; Lisa Moore, high school cafeteria cashier
- Pending hire: Duane Henry, bus aide
A version of this article appeared in the August 26 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
