Realizing many parents are comfortable making online payments, Centerville-Abington Community Schools will allow electronic payments for preschool starting next fall.

The school board voted at its Wednesday, March 18, meeting to allow CACS staff to create a checking account for the new option. Funds will be moved at least weekly into corporation accounts.

Checks and cash will still be accepted. 

Superintendent Mike McCoy said the change will add convenience and save staff processing time. They’re still evaluating specific payment providers such as Venmo and QuickBooks.

IREAD

Three Centerville-Abington students, Ada Manis, Gustavus Rayborn and Edmund Kaehr, earned perfect scores on the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination test. Rose Hamilton Principal Diana Hill and Centerville-Abington Elementary Principal Kelly VanWinkle introduced the students to the board for recognition.

In other business

  • Following up on their March 11 discussion, the board voted 4-0 for new teacher evaluation tools for the 2026-27 school year. Board member Todd Dooley said he wished he’d had something so extensive to use for a prior management job.
  • The board approved seeking a state technology common school loan to pay for new computers and software. McCoy said CACS bought all new computers at one time when Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds were available during the pandemic. Now, they need to spread those replacement purchases out over several years.
  • Lee Co. is to install automatic goal hoists in the West Gym during spring break. The West Gym floor update is set to begin June 14. Designs are being evaluated.
  • The board thanked The Women’s Fund of Wayne County Foundation for two donations. Centerville-Abington Elementary running club received $2,500 toward student race entries, snacks and other needs. Another $900 goes toward female students’ registration and transportation to a January 2027 STEM conference in Indianapolis.

Personnel

Hires: Lorelei Guenther, substitute teacher at Rose Hamilton/Centerville-Abington Elementary/Centerville Junior High; fall coaches Ally Staton, volleyball; Ricky Torres, girls soccer; Randy Ecker, boys tennis; Ricardo Torres, boys soccer; Matthew Bellew, girls golf

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A version of this article appeared in the March 25 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.

Millicent Martin Emery is a reporter and editor for the Western Wayne News.