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Welcome!
(Updated 2/20/12)

Caston School Corporation
 Where students are developed, 
excellence is emphasized and
 memories are made.

Disclaimer: This website, first published August 22, 2006, has been created and is administered by Russell ("Russ") Phillips, a member of...(more)

Quick Hits:  (Don't see it? Check the archives.) (Alert Notification?)

• NEW 2/15/12 Public Work Session Focuses On Possible Capital Projects (2/20/12)

• NEW 2/21/12 Board Agenda (NOTE: 5:00P.M.): Accept Resignation Of Technology Assistant; Discuss And Consider Marketing Ideas; And More (2/16/12)

• Caston Officials Discussing $2 Million In Capital Projects (Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 2/16/12)

• Graham Redweik - Rochester Sentinel Athlete Of The Week (2/16/12)

• More Extra-Curricular Appointments For 2011-12 School Year (2/15/12)

• Catch Up On The Latest Caston "Celebrations" To Be Posted (2/15/12)

• 2/7/12 Board Meeting Results Include Approving Non-Binding First Step To Doing Various Projects Up To Total Cost Of Two (2) Million Dollars And Other Info (2/12/12)

• 2/15/12 (Wednesday) Public Work Session At 4:00P.M. To Discuss Possibility Of Up To $2,000,000 Of Capital Projects (2/12/12, more info)

• Jake Howdeshell - Rochester Sentinel Athlete Of The Week (2/12/12)

• 2/7/12 Executive Session (6:15P.M.)/Board Agenda (7:00P.M.): Consider Authorizing A Project Hearing For Capital Projects; Discuss And Consider Marketing Ideas; Consider Transferring $272,000 From The General And Transportation Funds To The Rainy Day Fund; Consider Second Reading Of 20+ Bylaw/Policy Revisions; And More (2/2/12, Current Bylaws/Policies)

• Small School Systems With Few Towns And Rural Areas With Declining Population - What Next? (Russ Phillips, 2/1/12)

• Allen Russell - Rochester Sentinel Athlete Of The Week (2/1/12)

• All Indiana School Board Elections Are Now Conducted During The Fall General Election (Russ Phillips, 1/30/12)

• Ex-Wayne Township Schools Chief Files Counterclaim In Dispute: Accused Of Defrauding Wayne Twp. District, Thompson Says In Counterclaim That He Is Owed Money Under Contract (Ind'pls Star, 1/30/12)

• Jessica Showley And Graham Redweik - Rochester Sentinel Athlete Of The Week (1/30/12)

• 1/24/12 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include Notification From The State That The 2012 Budget Has Been Decreased By $389,894 And Other Info (1/29/12)

• Turkey Run And Rockville Schools To Consolidate If...School Boards Agree And If...Referendums Approve (Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 1/22/12)

• 1/24/12 Public Work Session (6:30P.M.)/Board Agenda (7:00P.M.): Discussion Of Marketing Caston Schools; Consider Revision Of 20+ Bylaws/Policies; And More (1/22/12, Current Bylaws/Policies)

• Kyle Harvey And Trevor Hoover - Rochester Sentinel Athlete Of The Week (1/22/12)

• 1/10/12 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include Differing Opinions On Recommendation Of Stipends For All Staff, Announcement Of Distinguished Alumni Program And Other Info (1/17/12)

• Caston Announces Distinguished Alumni Recognition Program (1/7/12)

• Caston Projected To Have 127 Fewer Students By 2019 (12/26/11)

• Number Of Non-Resident Students Attending Caston Increases 37.5% From Previous Year (11/12/11)

• Demographic Study Forecasts Loss Of 159 Students By 2019-2020 (10/12/10); Revised/Corrected (11/7/11)

• 2012 Caston General Fund $$$ (And Beyond) At A Glance (11/7/11)

• Indiana Rural School Systems Could Be Forced To Consolidate By Virtue Of Death By A Million Cuts (retitled, StateImpact Indiana, 10/27/11)

• Why Governor Daniels Thinks Small School Districts Should Consolidate (StateImpact Indiana, 10/27/11)

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Purpose: The Purpose of this site is to tell the "untold story," i.e. to further inform and encourage interest among the Caston Community regarding its schools and the governance of the Corporation. Indiana's Public Records Act and Open Door Law (Public Meetings) - public access laws - insure that citizens can add their voice to the public debate. (more)

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What: On this site you will find several types of information, some fact and some opinion. It will be a continual "work in progress," with publishing at least following every regular Board meeting (usually the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 7P.M.), typically within the following two or three days. This will not be "official" minutes but rather "snippets" of information from the proceedings, as well as from other occasions, including financial data. Also, you will find links to information about the performance of Caston Elementary School and Caston Jr.-Sr. High School. Occasionally, you will find information about education in our Hoosier State and beyond (see "Elsewhere"). You will not find privileged or confidential information here. Generally, information about our schools available elsewhere on the Internet will not be repeated here, unless for convenience, although your attention may be drawn to it. You will find very few images and pictures on this site or other "cool" features. The emphasis is on text and information relating to Caston Schools. Board Minutes, the Agenda for the upcoming meeting and  Board Members' contact information is here. 

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Why: A hallmark of our government, including schools, is the participation of its citizenry. To make informed judgments access to information is essential. This website's information will help you, hopefully, to assess how well Caston is fulfilling its "Mission Statement" (Policy # 2105) that appears at the bottom of every page.

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Superintendent/Principals: Questions about school and corporation test scores, as well as for other topics, may be directed to one of the following:

• Dan Foster, Superintendent - Tel: 574/857-2035, ext. 336
• Lucinda Douglass, Elementary Principal - Tel: 574/857-3025, ext. 334
• Adam Strasser, Jr.-Sr. High School Principal - Tel: 574/857-3505, ext. 310

An open invitation has been extended to these administrators to have published on this site their input. There may be times when they feel that additional information is needed to put in proper perspective data/comments that are presented here. 

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Internet Access/Libraries: In the event you do not have Internet access in your home you may want to use this free service in the libraries of the community. Each library below allows Internet usage, at no charge, regardless of whether you live in the respective county/township.

Library Hours:

• Fulton County Public Library (Rochester) - M-Th, 10-8; F, 10-6; Sa, 10-5; Su, Closed; Tel: 574/223-2713
• Fulton Branch - M & Th, 9-6; Tu, W, & F, 9-5; Sa, 9-12; Tel: 574/857-3895
• Kewanna/Union Township Public Library - M-F, 10-6; Sa, 9-3; Tel: 574/653-2011
• Logansport/Cass County Public Library - M-F, 9-9; Sa, 9-5; Tel: 574/753-6383

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Feedback/New Info & Data: Comments, suggestions for future content, and questions are invited and encouraged and may be sent to Russ at rbpjrfulton@yahoo.com. If you would like an email notification every time new info & data is published just send an email to him indicating "new info." If you should ever decide to discontinue receiving these just send an email indicating "unsubscribe" in the "Subject" window.

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                                                                        Indiana School Consolidation Developments  

From the July 2, 2009 Indianapolis Star:

"A day after Indiana's lawmakers passed a new two-year state budget, Gov. Mitch Daniels was already looking ahead to his next legislative goal: reforming local government, including a push to merge the state's smallest school districts...But Daniels signaled that one area he'll pursue is the consolidation of the administrations of small school districts. He pointed to the new budget, in which some small rural schools saw their funding cut. 'You've got districts with fewer (students) than some grade schools, that have a superintendent and a staff,' Daniels said. 'Many counties I visit will be carved up into three or four districts, and the total number of kids is only a couple thousand. It would be very easy for one administration to run the buses and the food service and the paperwork, and liberate all that money to hire more teachers...'" (more)


NEW Small School Systems With Few Towns And Rural Areas With Declining Population - What Next? (Russ Phillips, 2/1/12)
Turkey Run And Rockville Schools To Consolidate If...School Boards Agree And If...Referendums Approve (Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 1/22/12)
Four White County School Systems Continue Collaborating, "Consolidation" Is Discussed (retitled, Monticello Herald Journal, 1/1/12)
North White Board President "...Wants To Consolidate The Four Districts In White County Into One Megadistrict" (retitled, StateImpact, 12/31/11)
New Harmony School Board Votes For Consolidation (Evansville Courier & Press, 12/10/11)
North Posey Willing To Consider Merger With New Harmony School (Evansville Courier & Press, 11/16/11)
Indiana Rural School Systems Could Be Forced To Consolidate By Virtue Of Death By A Million Cuts (retitled, StateImpact Indiana, 10/27/11)
Why Governor Daniels Thinks Small School Districts Should Consolidate (StateImpact Indiana, 10/27/11)
Declining Enrollment, Funding Leave New Harmony School District's Future In Doubt (Evansville Courier & Press, 10/14/11)
Parke (County) School Districts Look At Reorganization (i.e. Consolidation): Turkey Run And Rockville Boards
 Have Agreed To Study Issue (Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 7/28/11)
Gov. Daniels: School Systems Of Caston's Size Have Too Much Administrative Overhead (WROI, 5/28/11)
Proposed State Budget Includes Mechanism To Force Smallest School Districts To Consolidate 
(retitled, Evansville Courier & Press, 4/20/11)
New CEEP Report On Potential Of School District Consolidation In Indiana Determines Evidence For A Mandate Still Lacking (Indiana University, 10/5/10)
Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association (9/27/09)
Daniels Attacks Schools (Brett Boggs, The Rochester Sentinel, 8/21/09)
Is Caston One Of Gov. Daniels "Smallest School Districts"? (7/24/09)
Daniels’ Bottom Line: Rural schools suffer under new budget 
(Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette, 7/12/09)
*Kernan - Shepard Report here.
*School Consolidation Archives/Index here.


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Disclaimer: This website, first published August 22, 2006, has been created and is administered by Russell ("Russ") Phillips, a member of the Board of School Trustees (hereafter known as "Board") of Caston School Corporation, P.O Box 8, Fulton, IN 46931 (USA). Caston Schools are located about two miles south of the town of Fulton, between Rochester and Logansport, IN,  along Indiana Highway #25. He  is solely responsible for what is published on this site and it is not sanctioned by Caston School Corporation, its Superintendent, or the Board. Furthermore, views he expresses on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board or of his colleagues on the Board. No Corporation funds, equipment or software are utilized for this site. Links to other sites are provided solely for informational purposes and no endorsement of their content, or suggestion of their accuracy is insinuated or implied. 

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