Kindergarten through fourth grade students at Kingsford Heights Elementary School learned how to help save a life earlier this month, taught by La Porte High School health careers students for the second year in a row.

Students led a Hands-Only CPR day on October 5, guiding younger students through the basic steps of hands-only CPR. Once again, they will visit every elementary school throughout the La Porte Community School Corporation.

Teaching CPR gives high school students a chance to practice skills they will use in health care careers, including clear communication, patience, and leadership.

The Health Foundation of La Porte supports the health careers program at La Porte High School. Its investment helps students explore and prepare for health care careers, from hands-on classroom learning to community service.

LPCSC thanks the Health Foundation of La Porte for its continued support of the health careers program and the students we serve.

During the 2025-26 school year, 351 La Porte High School students earned qualifying scores on Advanced Placement exams, collectively earning 1,053 college credits. The La Porte Community School Corporation estimates those credits will save local families about $430,000 in college tuition.

The district shared the results with the school board on Oct. 12 during its annual Data Dive presentation.

Among the strongest performers were AP Research (84% of exams earning a qualifying score) and AP Chemistry (82%). AP Seminar, the district’s largest AP course in this report, had 88 exams, with 80% earning a qualifying score. AP Precalculus (69%) and AP English Language and Composition (67%) also had large groups of test takers.

Building on the results, the district plans to increase AP passing rates by 3 to 5 percentage points and invite more students with AP potential to participate. Seminar is a focus for growth, with a goal of reaching 485 students. The district also plans to partner with the College Board on training opportunities for AP teachers.

“Our teachers are doing a great job preparing students for Advanced Placement exams, and it pays off directly for our community,” said Zach Huber, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “We want to keep raising the bar by expanding participation and inviting more students who have the potential to succeed in AP.”

Kingsford Heights Elementary School has been named a 2026 Indiana Blue Ribbon School by Gov. Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Education, one of the top 16 schools selected statewide from more than 2,300 Indiana K-12 schools. Kingsford Heights is the only La Porte County school to receive the designation this year.

The 16 honorees were formally recognized at the fifth annual Educational Excellence Awards Gala on Friday, Oct. 2, in Indianapolis, where Holly Wireman and members of the Kingsford Heights school community accepted the recognition alongside educators and state leaders.

The Indiana Blue Ribbon Schools designation celebrates schools that demonstrate exemplary academic performance and innovative approaches to meeting students' needs. According to the Indiana Department of Education, honorees were identified by reviewing the same data for every public and non-public school in the state, including student mastery in reading, math, and college- and career-readiness as measured by state assessments, as well as strong attendance. The state program, now in its second year, continues the tradition of the National Blue Ribbon Schools designation established in 1982.

"With more than 2,300 K-12 schools across Indiana, to be named one of the top 16 is an incredible accomplishment," said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, in the state's announcement. "This level of excellence is only possible when strong educators work hand-in-hand with families to meet the unique needs of every learner."

"This is an extraordinary accomplishment for Kingsford Heights Elementary and a proud moment for La Porte Community School Corporation," said Dr. Sandra Wood, superintendent. "It reflects a staff that knows every child by name and works relentlessly to make sure each one has what they need to succeed, and a community that partners with us every day. We are grateful to the teachers, staff, students and families who make Kingsford Heights what it is, and we could not be prouder of them."

Principal Holly Wireman credited the achievement to the Kingsford Heights team's consistency and care. "Every person in this building plays a vital role in helping our Tigers each and every day, and this recognition belongs to all of them. It doesn't happen because of one person. It happens because of a team that truly cares about every child who walks through our doors."

The full list of 2026 Indiana Blue Ribbon Schools and more information about the designation are available on the Indiana Department of Education website at in.gov/doe/it/accountability-dashboard/indiana-blue-ribbon-schools.

The La Porte Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees has announced a shared vision for the next six years of the district's work, along with a public goal and a date attached to it.

"Our shared vision is to make La Porte the Destination District of Northwest Indiana: the place families choose, educators build careers, and students find everything they need to succeed," Board President Ryan Seaburg told the community at the board's Sept. 14 meeting. "In Indiana, families have a choice about where their children go to school. A destination district is one that earns that choice every year."

The vision took shape at a board retreat in July, where the full board and the district leadership team, including several leaders new to La Porte this year, spent a day working toward a single direction. Indiana school boards are not required to hold retreats. Board members said they chose it because leadership that is not aligned cannot ask anyone else to follow.

Leaders provided a clear account of the district's current situation alongside the announcement. Recent changes to state property tax law have decreased Operations revenue, prompting La Porte to create its 2026 budget after making significant cuts. Districts throughout Indiana are facing similar challenges this year, and this financial pressure will continue into the 2028 budget year. Detailed figures are available in the district's regular budget reports to the board.

The outlook changes in 2029, when revenue from the Microsoft development in La Porte is expected to begin reaching the district. The district receives 15% of the property taxes generated by the new development, and the revenue grows as each additional building is constructed and assessed. District leaders said the projections they plan against are conservative, and that they will commit only the dollars they are certain of.

The board also addressed the referendum it had been preparing to bring to voters in 2026. A consultant had already been retained when the Microsoft opportunity emerged. The board made the decision not to take the question to the taxpayers.

"The need was real, and it has not gone away," Superintendent Dr. Sandra Wood said. "The next two budgets are still tight, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What changed is the answer. This delivers more than a referendum would have; it does not raise anyone's tax rate, and it does not require winning an election."

The board's first commitment under the new vision is people. By 2032, La Porte Community School Corporation intends to be the highest-paying school district in Northwest Indiana in every role, certified and classified, from classrooms to kitchens to bus routes.

District leaders described the salary goal as a means rather than an end. Every district in Northwest Indiana recruits from the same pool of teachers, therapists, counselors, aides and drivers, and the adult in front of a child is the largest single factor in that child's school day. The standard rises with the investment: excellence expected, excellence supported, excellence recognized.

Much of the work begins now, before any new revenue arrives. Leaders pointed to what a destination district is made of that costs nothing: students and families known by name, staff backed on the hard days, news delivered directly by district leadership, work recognized all year long. Going forward, one question applies to every decision in every building and department: Will this move us closer to becoming the Destination District?

The board committed to reporting publicly, at a board meeting, where the district stands against this goal every year through 2032, and said families and staff will hear what October's enrollment count means, and what this winter's budget decisions are, directly from district leadership.

Community members can hear the full conversation on the latest episode of Inside La Porte Schools, the district's podcast hosted by Dr. Wood. In the episode, Seaburg and board members Amy Jackson and Nate Loucks discuss the retreat, what a destination district means for every family and employee, and the honest work ahead over the next two years. The episode is available now wherever podcasts are found and is linked from the district website at lpcsc.k12.in.us.

Hailmann Elementary School students rolled up their sleeves for the school's second annual Fourth Grade Corn Husk-Off, an educational event that pairs friendly competition with hands-on lessons in sustainability.

Maria Amor's fourth-grade class took the title, out-shucking their classmates to claim bragging rights in the event's second year.

The competition, organized through a partnership between La Porte Community School Corporation Director of Food Service Cindy Vondra and NWI Food Council's Veronica Jalomo, challenges fourth-grade students to race the clock while shucking fresh corn.

The event serves several purposes. The husks are donated to local horses, while the corn itself is cleaned and prepared for service in school lunches throughout the week, ensuring no part of the harvest goes to waste. Students who shuck the corn in the morning see it on their trays within days.

The Corn Husk-Off reflects La Porte Community School Corporation's ongoing commitment to farm-to-school programming, which connects students directly with local food sources while promoting healthy eating habits and environmental stewardship. Now in its second year, the event has become a fixture on Hailmann's fall calendar.

The partnership with the NWI Food Council demonstrates how community organizations can strengthen educational programming while supporting local agriculture.

Students again participated enthusiastically, with the event emphasizing teamwork, sustainability, and the connection between agriculture and daily nutrition.

Thank you to the Play for Jake Foundation and to an anonymous local family for a combined $26,000 gift that is replacing and adding AEDs across our schools.

The number is not a coincidence. Twenty-six was Jake West's football number.

AEDs expire, and when a district buys them all at once, they all come due at once. This gift means we could replace every unit that needed replacing without cutting back on how many devices are available to students, staff and visitors.

In sharing the gift with our school board at the August meeting, foundation founder Julie West said: "This donation represents so much more than the purchase of equipment. It represents preparedness. It represents hope. Most importantly, it represents the opportunity to save a life."

We are grateful. Jake's legacy is in every one of our buildings.

Photo credit: LPCSC. Caption: Julie West, founder of the Play for Jake Foundation, joins the LPCSC Board of School Trustees after presenting a combined $26,000 donation for new and replacement AEDs. From left, board member Jim Arnold; board secretary Monica Beaty; board member Nate Loucks; board member Tucker King; West; Superintendent Dr. Sandra Wood; board member Jennifer Farlie; board Vice President Amy Jackson; and board President Ryan Seaburg.

Power was restored to all of our school buildings over the weekend. Our teams have spent Monday and today preparing classrooms and systems, and we cannot wait to welcome students back for the first day of school tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Our phone service is back. The provider outage affecting inbound and outbound calls at our schools and the transportation department was resolved this morning. Thank you for your flexibility while we worked through it. You can now reach your child's school directly by phone again.

Buses. Bus routes will run tomorrow, though pickup and drop-off times will vary as our drivers navigate road conditions and debris. Please expect some delays. Our drivers are doing everything they can to get students to school safely, so please plan for a little extra time those first mornings. New requests for transportation that were not received before this week will be processed as quickly as possible, but may take a few days to assign in our routing system.

Meals. Menus for the week will not change, aside from minor produce substitutions. Breakfast and lunch will be served as usual.

We know some families in our community are still without power and are managing real difficulties at home. Our staff will welcome every student tomorrow with compassion and flexibility. If there is anything your child's school should know about your family's situation, please call and let them know.

This has been a long and difficult stretch for our community, and we are grateful for the patience, kindness, and flexibility you have shown one another and us. We are ready for a great year.

Sandra Wood Superintendent

Following months of collaborative review in which all options were considered, the Kiwanis Committee presented its recommendations for the future of Slicer football to the LPCSC Board of School Trustees this evening. The committee, made up of representatives from La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC), Preserve Historic La Porte, and community stakeholders, recommends renovations and upgrades to Kiwanis Stadium at its current location.

The committee has met regularly since October 2025, working with Schmidt and Associates architects on a feasibility study assessing the 75-year-old stadium's condition and restoration needs. Stakeholder input was gathered as part of the process of looking ahead to future needs of the school and the community. Should the board move forward with the recommended plan, the school corporation would work with Schmidt and Associates to see the renovations and improvements through to completion, contingent on securing the necessary funding.

"Kiwanis Stadium has been home to Slicer football for 75 years, and thanks to this partnership, it will continue to serve our students and community for generations to come," said Ryan Seaburg, President of the LPCSC Board of School Trustees. "While the next steps will depend on funding, we are grateful for the collaboration with Preserve Historic La Porte as we work toward securing the future of this community landmark."

"This stadium is more than a football field. It is a landmark that has brought our community together for decades," said Mark Kurth, President of Preserve Historic La Porte. "We are proud to partner with La Porte Community School Corporation to preserve this piece of La Porte's history while ensuring it meets the needs of today's student-athletes."