Concord High School

Concord Community Schools Receives Grant from Indiana DOE

October 16, 2024

Concord Community Schools is pleased to announce that the district is the recipient of a multi-million dollar grant to support students, staff, and families.

The Next Generation School Improvement Grant (Next Gen SIG) grant was awarded by the Indiana Department of Education and will provide $410,000 in planning funds over the next year, and up to $4.1 million in grant funds over the following three years.

“These funds will directly impact Concord High School and Concord South Side Elementary School based on their eligibility for the Next Generation SIG program, but will indirectly impact all seven of our schools in one way or another,” Concord Community Schools Superintendent Dan Funston said. “This grant is a huge win for our students and their families, as well as the greater Concord community.” 

The Indiana Department of Education launched the (Next Gen SIG) program in the 2021-2022. The grant supports a one-year planning phase, followed by a three-year implementation phase. This was a highly competitive grant, with 48 applicants across the state. Concord Community Schools’ grant application was given a 97% rubric rating -- the highest in the state for this year’s cohort. 

“We are fortunate to have incredible teachers and support staff at all of our schools who are invested in our kids. It is their commitment that makes our school district a place where such opportunities are possible,” Funston said. “This grant will help us build on our proven successes, expanding and innovating within our current programs to further enhance our students' future success.”

Over the next year, Concord will engage in a comprehensive planning process to ensure that the district maximizes the impact of these funds. The planning period is going to be important as district and school leaders set the stage for the next three years of implementation, Funston added. 

The work will center around several key objectives: Improving student achievement outcomes, exploring high-quality early childhood programming, expanding college and career advising for students, and growing the educational attainment of students and graduates through meaningful work-based learning experiences, such as modern youth apprenticeships, that lead to credentials and college credit.

“This work directly aligns with our Concord Strategic Plan and is in response to the feedback we received from our community about the school district they want for their children, now and in  the future,” Funston said. 

The key objectives also closely align with the state’s proposed changes to graduation requirements, ensuring that Concord students can access opportunities that advance their educational attainment, opening doors to the future. 

“This grant is an incredible opportunity for our district to help make great things happen for kids — and to keep our focus on the areas that our state leaders, local school board, school staff, parents, and community have identified as important to our success,” Funston said. “We’re grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the future of Concord Community Schools.”

AP SCHOLAR AWARD WINNERS
August 20,2024

Thirty-seven students at Concord High School have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams. 

Students at Concord High School have opportunities to select from 14 AP courses ranging in topics from AP US Government to AP Biology and AP Drawing to AP Calculus. Students take these rigorous college-level courses while still in high school to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. 

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® recognizes several levels of achievement based on student performance on AP Exams. Scores are based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. At Concord High School:

• Thirteen students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The class of 2023 AP Scholar with Distinction students are Tyler Carrington, William Delio, Andrew Gingerich, Haley Imus, Jacob Kamp, Cole Nissley, Christian Oropeza Rios, Michael Petersen, Madyson Replogle, Jeremiah Riffell, Anh Tran, Esther Williams, and Christian Zeser. 
• Four students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The class of 2023 AP Scholar with Honor students are Rowan Finnigan, Cressy Toledo, Maria Ward, and Braylon Yoder.
• Twenty students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher. The class of 2023 AP Scholars are Andrea Aguilar, Sage Borkholder, Jacob Combs, Ellis Connors, Andrew Kavanagh, Kessa Krecsmar, Ashlyn Lengerich, Atzhiri Marquez, Emmanuel Martinez, Kaitlyn Morelock, Santiago Pedroza, Alayna Rhoades, Aidan Rotheker, Yazid Salvador, Diego Sosa-Escamilla, Madison Thews, Annika Troyer, Margaret Weldy, Jade Witt,  and Brianna Zentz.

Graduation Rates Soar!

January 12, 2024

In a notable achievement for the Concord community, the Concord High School Class of 2023 achieved a graduation rate of 92.8%, marking an impressive 5% increase from the previous year -- and the highest rate in 15 years! Graduation rates were released by the Indiana Department of Education in December. Go Minutemen!

Celebrating the Completion of the Concord Engineering and Construction Center

December 13, 2022

A new learning area will provide Concord High School students interested in the engineering, robotics, and construction trades fields a space to learn work readiness skills matching industry demands — and develop skills that will support their future careers. 

Construction was recently completed on the Concord Engineering and Construction Center, a 10,400-square-foot building located on the west side of Concord High School in an area that was previously used for school bus parking. A community open house and ribbon cutting ceremony was held Monday, December 12. 

The facility includes innovative engineering, robotics and construction trades spaces to support future-ready learning, support the local economy, and prepare students for success. This facility was designed in response to the needs of the local economy, including the desire for students to enter the workforce with industry-ready skills. 

The project cost was approximately $3.9 million and was paid for through the sale of a one-year bond. This project will not raise taxes. Additionally, Concord Community Schools will lower the tax rate in 2023. 

“We are proud to support this investment that will have a direct impact on our students and their ability to increase their industry-ready skills while still in high school,” Superintendent Dan Funston said. “In conversations with local industry leaders, it is clear that having this facility in place to support student learning will set them on a path to success in whatever career path they choose.” 

In recent years, student interest in the high school’s construction trades offerings has more than tripled, with more than 500 students enrolled in courses for the fall semester. This increased demand for course offerings has outgrown the existing facility. 

“We are thrilled to have so many students interested in career fields that will directly benefit our local community,” Concord High School Principal Seth Molnar said. “There is an excited buzz among our students and staff as we prepare to launch classes here in January, and we know that momentum will continue to grow as more students and families become aware of these incredible learning opportunities.” 

Courses to be offered in this space include: Civil engineering, architectural engineering, manufacturing, robotics, design and innovation, and construction trades. 

Future plans include a competitive robotics program, additional student-designed projects available for purchase by the community, the growth of partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and other local organizations, and work-based learning placement for students with local contractors. 

Students will begin utilizing the space in January 2023. 

Concord would like to thank Weigand Construction and TMP Architecture for their partnership on this project. 

Concord Community Schools & Teachers Credit Union Announce New Sponsorship

November 22, 2022

A new sponsorship has been announced between Concord Community Schools and Teachers Credit Union (TCU). Through the new 10-year agreement, TCU will provide annual financial support and serve as the sponsor of the football field at Concord High School. This sponsorship enhances the existing relationship between Concord Community School Corporation and TCU, as the credit union currently provides cash management services to the school corporation to enhance operations and financial management.

TCU will provide annual contributions toward athletic facility improvements and other similar academic and extracurricular programs. In addition, as TCU will be the sponsor of the football field, it will now be known as Jake Field sponsored by Teachers Credit Union. 

Jake Field, home of the Concord Minutemen, will retain the name of the beloved Larry "Jake" Jackowiak, former teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator who passed away in September of 2009 after 23 years of service to Concord.

“TCU has long been a supporter of Concord Community Schools and we are thrilled to partner with them to directly benefit current and future generations of students at Concord," said Superintendent of Concord Community Schools, Dan Funston. “Partnerships like this are vital to the success of our students and are beneficial to our community as a whole. We are grateful that TCU has made this commitment to invest in our community in this way. This agreement allows us to build on our strong partnership with TCU, while continuing to honor the legacy of Larry 'Jake' Jackowiak, whose impact on Concord is everlasting. I'd also like to thank Concord School Board Secretary Jared Sponseller who played a crucial role in building this partnership opportunity."

“We are pleased to build on our relationship with Concord Community Schools,” said Kurt Warner, the manager of TCU’s Concord branch. “One of TCU’s primary missions is to support educational and extracurricular initiatives in the communities we serve, and we’re excited to be able to support Concord’s rich history of athletic and academic excellence.”

Expanding Biomedical Opportunities for Concord Students

July 21, 2022

Concord Community Schools is thrilled to be among the 97 schools and community partners in the state to receive the combined $57 million in grant funding earmarked for school districts seeking to expand student access to pathways that lead to high-wage, high-demand careers. 

With the support of the $210,528.84 Explore, Engage, and Experience Grant, Concord Community Schools will expand student access to real-world experiences related to the biomedical field, beginning in elementary school.

“We continue to hear from local industries the desire for us to prepare students for high-wage, high-demand careers and the way that we do that most effectively is by exposing students to hands-on learning opportunities early and often," said Dr. Lisa Kendall, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Programming.

In the youngest grades, students will complete a biomedical science unit as part of their Science Engineering Technology and Math (STEM) coursework. As students enter their middle school years, they will participate in biomedical courses that will prepare them as they begin to consider various pathways to graduation. They will have an opportunity to meet medical professionals and learn more about available careers and the training they will need to succeed in high-demand careers.

Upon entering high school, students will be offered the opportunity to participate in a series of three biomedical science courses. As part of their coursework, students will participate in field experiences in the local industry, giving them access to real-world learning opportunities within their own community. The program will begin in the fall with a cohort of 120 students, with enrollment tripling by the 2023-2024 school year.  

All of this coursework directly benefits students as they work toward the biomedical science graduation pathway within the Career and Technical Education sector. The biomedical pathway, part of the Indiana Department of Education’s Graduation Pathways, is aimed at careers in the study of human medicine, research processes and bioinformatics. 

“Our desire to support this programming for students is both to build interest in the biomedical field and help meet the needs of our local economy, as well as to take a more targeted approach in having conversations early and often with students about their future plans and the tenacity they’ll need to succeed in those careers. Having field experiences in our community, meeting workers from local industries, and understanding the work-ready skills they need to have to be successful will be beneficial no matter what career they choose," Kendall said.

Students and families interested in learning more about these offerings can reach Dr. Kendall  or call 574-875-5161. High school students may also contact their school counselor for scheduling and other information related to graduation pathways. 

Concord High School Named UCAN Partner School

June 1, 2022

Concord High School has been named a Partner School in the launch of the Indiana State Department of Education’s Urban College Acceleration Network (UCAN).

UCAN is a new partnership between urban Indiana schools and has a mission to increase student access to postsecondary courses through the Early College High School Program, and Concord is proud to be selected as an inaugural partner. 

“We know that achievement gaps persist in reading, math, and educational attainment among Indiana’s racially and ethnically diverse, low-income, special education and English language learner students – gaps that were exacerbated by the pandemic,” Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, said in a news release. “I’m thrilled that through the UCAN partnership, many of our urban schools will come together to leverage their collective knowledge and experience to help close these gaps and expand pathway opportunities for every student to succeed.”

UCAN connects established urban Early College High Schools and urban schools that are seeking to become Early College High Schools. The model establishes the Early College High Schools as mentors for their partner schools, providing the partner schools with guidance and support as they work to accelerate their path toward becoming an Early College High School. Through UCAN, partner schools will have access to coaching and support for Early College coursework, along with educator professional development at no cost.

This partnership comes at an ideal time as enrollment in Concord’s Early College program cohort continues to increase, said Concord High School Principal Lisa Kendall.

“As we reflect on the educational needs of our students -- especially post-pandemic -- there is a strong desire to provide college wrap-around services so that students are supported at high levels,” Kendall said. “What makes UCAN beneficial are the academic support, perseverance skills, and problem solving skills woven into the academic structures they can provide the students at Concord High School. This partnership comes at the perfect time to benefit the college readiness skills needed in an economic climate heavily focused on industrial and manufacturing institutions.”

This program will be supported with $4.1 million in funding through the third round of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, according to the Department of Education. 

Concord High School is one of only two school districts in Elkhart County to be named a partner school. Goshen High School was also selected.