Students, parents, administrators and board members attending Western Wayne School Board’s March 12 meeting brought their frustrations, concerns and demands for action. Many seemed to agree that there are problems in the school district that need addressing, but there was little consensus on how exactly to go about it.
Few people usually attend the meetings, generally not even Lincoln Middle/High School’s Students of the Month being recognized, but in this case, a large room at LMHS was packed to the point of being standing room only.
The grievances that nearly 30 different speakers expressed were varied, as were the people they were directed to. From allegations of misconduct by school employees and board members to complaints about facilities, from expressions of division to pleas for unity, the meeting carried on for close to three hours. Tensions were high at times, and not much was resolved. But it was also a gathering of people who seemed to care deeply about the school, each in their own way trying to figure out the right thing for its students and its future.
Misconduct allegations
Chad Lieberman, director of titles and grants, told the meeting he’s reported employee and board member misconduct he has witnessed to various officials and felt he had no options left but to resign effective June 30.
Lieberman said he recorded his findings and provided them to Superintendent Andy Stover but claimed some board members had prevented Stover from acting.
He said he has also reported incidents to or received guidance from Indiana Ethics Commission, State Board of Accounts, Indiana Department of Labor and Indiana’s attorney general.
Lieberman said he’s filed a complaint with Indiana’s public access counselor for the board’s Feb. 28 executive session, and his office and Stover only learned about the meeting later on March 11. He said it wasn’t posted on the district’s website or the principal’s office.
As of press time, the WWS website does not list a published agenda or meeting notice for that session, only minutes showing that those in attendance discussed the job performance of unnamed individual employees.
Lieberman said he’d like to say more about the issue, but that he legally can’t.
Lieberman thanked Stover for the opportunity to work alongside and learn from him, calling him a “knowledgeable, passionate and competent superintendent.”
“We always say, ‘Let’s do what’s best for students,’ don’t we, but it sure doesn’t seem like we do that a lot of the time,” Lieberman said. “They deserve better and I wish all you guys [all] of the best. I hope everything works out.”
Superintendent and board relationships
During his own comments, Stover said he finds that while many people are working for the good of the school district, others hold things back with disagreements.
“What we do have is a division in this district,” Stover said, who’s now working in his third district. “I don’t know what it is.”
Stover recalled his own journey with WWS, leaving a “cush” job in another district to become a superintendent at age 31, leading a multi-million-dollar school corporation that was “crumbling.”
He said he misses teaching and doesn’t want to minimize the classroom experience, but he wanted to positively impact 700 kids through being a superintendent.
Now 36, Stover said he’s grown a lot during his time with WWS and made mistakes, and he owns up to those, but he prides himself on his morals and ethics and he wants to be a problem solver. He hopes others will join him in that goal.
“…We have a lot of people that really want this place to succeed, but we also have a lot of people that say they want it to succeed, but they stab people in the back in the process. That’s not how this works. I will tell you right now: if you want this community to succeed and you want it to prosper, you’re going to have to support people. And what you’re going to have to do is be an adult and agree to disagree and step off your pedestal because that’s what we have.”
Stover said he’s not here to cast arrows toward the board because their job is thankless and nearly a volunteer role.
However, he said there are issues with his relationship with the board.
“Time and time again I’ve sat in this position and I’ve had to go back on decision after decision because [I’m told] I can’t do that, or I’ve given you determinations, and you’ve told me I can’t do that. So, in essence, I haven’t been given a free rein to be a superintendent; I’ve been pulled back time and time again.”
Although Stover acknowledges he’s an outsider to the district, his young children now attend WWS, so he’s a concerned parent as well.
He said he has to make hard decisions based on realistic resources and must ask people to step up to help in times of need, but sometimes faces resistance.
“The school is the nucleus, the glue that holds us together, so keep that in mind,” Stover said. “If you want to keep fighting for the right things, let’s all link together and support this district for the good of what we do, and that’s kids.”
Other topics
Speakers during the meeting touched on a number of other topics related to the school system’s decision-making, facilities priorities and morale.
- Concern that $6 million spent on LMHS’s gym renovation was the wrong priority and disruptive to team practices and bonding.
- Diminishing track facilities and insufficient resources for softball and other programs compared to some boys` teams.
- Poor communication between administrators, board members, families, students and other stakeholders.
- Teacher morale and lack of support from administrators.
- Declining student population as some students choose to attend nearby districts.
- Negativity shared on social media that could impact student recruitment and retention
- Negative impact on property values, businesses and community pride if declining enrollment led to school or district closure
- Parents and community members struggling to accept changes
- Funding challenges
- Lack of discipline for behavioral issues, including name-calling.
- Staffing and hiring challenges, special education staff capacity, low pay for aides, and employee burnout.
- Lack of open discussion and disagreement at board meetings
- Whether there’s a shared vision and culture for the district, especially among administrators, and the board and administrators
“It shouldn’t be the kids’ responsibility to open your eyes,” said parent Brooke Bell after daughter Samantha addressed the board about softball concerns. Bell said she’s frustrated after reaching out to appropriate people and not getting a response, and she’s among parents now sharing concerns.
Board member Brent Fortman said he believed the majority of those attending the meeting were just hoping to see controversy when unity should be stakeholders’ goal.
Board members feel attacked, Fortman said, and he’s received uncivil texts that he dismisses, but he’s open to productive in-person conversations or emailed communication.
Bond and construction
Earlier in the meeting, upcoming LMHS renovations were discussed. Administrators have previously explained that the work won’t cost taxpayers extra because the bonds replace others falling off, and if WWS doesn’t take the money, someone else will.
Planning began in May 2022 and included multiple meetings involving a committee of about 15 stakeholders, sharing documents to gather community input, and securing two blacktop-to-rooftop facilities assessments to determine needs.
Stover said he’s proud of the completed middle school renovations, including updated flooring, ceiling tiles, and rooms for robotics and e-sports.
High school planning began with public hearings and meetings in March and May 2024, and the architect discussed plans at January’s meeting before February’s board approval. WWS staff completed about 20 items to ensure compliance during the process, Stover said.
Board members listed areas of deferred maintenance where the $12 million could be spent. One of the first purchases was updating both business labs with a total of 60 new computers after prior computers had multiple issues.
They offered several reasons for gym improvements, such as new ceiling tiles, after one fell and hit an opposing player during warm-ups in February.
They also noted a significant Title IX concern, saying the girls locker room is significantly lower quality than the boys room, and the need for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance because when improvements are being made, facilities need to be brought up to ADA code.
Locker room renovations cost $1.6 million each for boys and girls, and painting the gym is $650,000, Fortman noted.
The gym is used for classes and events such as TEC’s cheer competition, graduation/senior awards, band concerts, WWES’ Christmas program and convocations, so it’s often the first point of contact for new WWS visitors.
Fortman and fellow board member Phil Pflum acknowledged they had reservations about the gym expenditures but came to support them after learning more about each item’s cost.
Next meeting
April’s board meeting is delayed a week until 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 16. The public may attend. Use door 33 to enter LMHS, 215 E. Parkway Drive, Cambridge City.
A version of this article appeared in the March 19 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.