Wapakoneta Elementary

The 2025-26 school year will be Mrs. Penny Etzkorn's 3rd year as a Paraprofessional. She graduated from WHS in 1983 and calls Wapakoneta her hometown even though she was born in Nebraska. Penny attended Wapakoneta City Schools K-12. She is the mother to three grown sons whom all graduated from WHS. She and her husband will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in October. They have a 13 yr old Australian Shepherd named Cooper. Ms Penny loves going to concerts and watching true crime TV. She also loves spending time with my four adorable grandchildren. According to Penny, "I’m most excited about joining WCS because I really enjoy assisting the students with their educational journey by providing my encouragement, support and love. I’ve made many friends there over the last two years, so I look forward to fostering those friendships as well as building new ones."

For the past two years, Mrs. Stacy Clausing has been working with the Auglaize County ESC in the special education classroom at Wapakoneta Elementary. In the 2025-26 school year she will officially join our staff. She is a proud graduate of Wapak High School and holds a bachelor's degree in science and health care. She live in the country in Wapak with her husband, Jared, their two sons, Kolvyn and Brantsyn, their cat, Sammi, and their dog, Meka. Her oldest son graduated from Wapak in 2023, while her youngest will graduate this school year in 2025. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, as well as taking walks. Stacy shared "I am excited to join WCS, where I aim to support, assist, and witness the growth of our students as they strive to achieve their goals. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and collaborating with the staff at Wapak Elementary. Wapak truly feels like home to me."

Daddy/Daughter Dance 2025 is in books and our girls (and their guests) are falling asleep tonight and dreaming of all of memories they made.

Wapakoneta City Schools will be operating on a 3 hour delay on Monday, April 7. There will be no preschool today.

Wapakoneta City Schools will be on 2 hour delay on Monday, April 7 due to fog.

State Testing information for this week!

Today, Wapakoneta Elementary School held its annual Ronald McDonald House Fundraiser Kick-Off Assembly, marking over a decade of dedicated support for the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). The event featured the much-anticipated relay races, where students enthusiastically cheered for their favorite staff members competing in friendly competition.​ Over the past ten years, WES has demonstrated a strong commitment to RMHC, raising significant funds to support families in need. In the previous school year alone, the school community raised an impressive $19,000 for the charity. This year, WES aims to surpass that amount, continuing their tradition of generosity and community service.​ The kick-off assembly not only sets the stage for the upcoming final fundraising drive but also fosters a sense of unity and purpose among students and staff. Through events like these, WES instills the values of empathy and social responsibility in its students, encouraging them to make a positive impact in their community.​

🎉 It’s Assistant Principals Week, and we’re sending a huge THANK YOU to three of the best: Mrs. Seger, Mrs. Schneider, and Mr. McElroy! From helping students navigate tough days to supporting teachers and keeping everything running smoothly, our assistant principals wear a lot of hats—and they do it all with heart, patience, and dedication. We’re grateful for the leadership and care you bring to your buildings every day. You help make Wapakoneta City Schools a better place for our kids to learn and grow. 👏 #BeBetter #AssistantPrincipalsWeek

👊 Today is Para Educator Appreciation Day — and we couldn't let it pass without recognizing some of the most hardworking, patient, and dedicated people in our schools. Our para educators go above and beyond to support students, teachers, and classrooms in so many ways. They’re problem solvers, encouragers, and team players—and they make a real difference every single day. To all of our amazing para educators: thank you for everything you do. You are truly appreciated. ❤️ #BeBetter #ParaEducatorAppreciationDay #ThankYouParas

State Testing information for this week!

Today, WES and CES joined together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day! From rocking our mismatched socks to spreading messages of kindness and inclusion, our students showed what it truly means to embrace and support one another.

Wednesday March 26 will be a regular school day for students in grades K-8 and grade 10. Students in grades 9, 11 and 12 will be on a 2-hour delay as grades 8 and 10 complete state testing. There was originally a 2-hr delay for the purpose of staff pd. That has been cancelled.

If you care about fair funding for public schools, now is the time to act. Here’s how you can help: 📢 Contact your state legislators and tell them: ➡️ Update both sides of the Fair School Funding formula. ➡️ Hold private schools accountable if they receive public funding. ➡️ Stop forcing local taxpayers to fill the gap. 💡 Ask questions like: Why aren’t private schools audited like public schools? Why do public schools have to follow strict financial rules while private schools do not? Why is our funding being cut while private school vouchers increase? 🎓 Public schools educate 90% of Ohio’s kids. They deserve fair and predictable funding. Thank you for your continued support of Wapakoneta City Schools! #FundOurSchools #SupportPublicEducation

Another reminder to get your child registered for kindergarten next year! Today is one of our designated registration dates. Registering now allows us to plan appropriately for next school year. Thank you!

One of the biggest frustrations in this budget is the increased funding for private schools—without the same level of accountability as public schools. 📌 Public schools are audited annually by the State Auditor’s Office. Private schools? No state audits. 📌 Public schools must comply with strict financial and academic requirements—do private schools have to meet the same standards? 📌 Public schools must educate EVERY student. Private schools can pick and choose. If the state wants to fund private education, they must hold private schools to the same standards as public schools. If you agree, reach out to your legislators and ask them why public schools are being held to a higher standard while getting less funding. #AccountabilityMatters #PublicFundsPublicSchools

This is a reminder that we will not be having school on Friday, March 14.

We’ve seen firsthand how unpredictable school funding can be in the past. Years ago, our district saved money instead of spending it all, knowing that funding could change. Now, with an $800,000 funding cut coming, that foresight is helping—but we still face tough decisions ahead. Imagine if we didn’t have that cushion. We’d be scrambling to figure out how to pay our staff and maintain programs. The bottom line: This funding cut is significant. It’s not sustainable, and it’s not fair to our students. Stay tuned for what we can do to stand up for public schools. #WapakonetaSchools #FairFunding

Kindergarten registration is here! Today (March 10) is the first day, and we will have the second opportunity on March 14. We look forward to welcoming the class of 2038!

In 2022, Ohio implemented the Fair School Funding Plan, designed to accurately determine the cost of educating a child and how much a community can afford to pay. But here’s the problem: Only half of the formula is being updated. 📌 The state is recalculating property values & income (which makes Wapakoneta look "wealthier"), but they are NOT updating the cost of educating a student. What does this mean? 🔻 Wapakoneta City Schools' state funding will drop by $842,311 in FY 26 and $835,301 in FY 27. 🔻 Our state share of funding will drop from 53.54% in FY 2022 to just 38.1% in FY 2027. Even though your income may not have increased, the state assumes our community can cover the gap. That’s not how fair funding should work. This imbalance is putting a strain on public schools. We must demand that legislators update both sides of the formula. #SupportPublicSchools #FairFunding

As you may have heard, our school system will be taking over the majority of the county-run Special Education Units across the district. This is something we have considered for years, and after careful planning, we believe next school year is the right time to move forward. This transition aligns with previous steps we’ve taken, such as hiring our own speech pathologists, paraeducators, and managing the Opportunity School. While we have always funded these services, bringing them in-house allows us to directly hire staff, ensure quality, and control costs—ultimately benefiting both our students and the district. Over the past several months, Our Superintendent, Special Education Director, our building administrators, and treasurer have evaluated the need for special education instructors, paraeducators, and the financial impact on the district. Our goals are twofold: To manage and supervise all Special Education Units—after all, these are our students in the classrooms. To be as cost-effective as possible while maintaining high-quality services. We have just posted several Special Education Positions that includes: 4 Multiage Classrooms at WES 3 Multiage Classrooms at Cridersville 2 Multiage Classrooms at the Middle School 1 Multiage Classroom at the High School Each classroom will have one full-time special education instructor, one full-time paraeducator, and one part-time paraeducator—with additional paraeducators assigned as needed based on individual student support requirements. We will be interviewing current county personnel who apply, as well as other interested individuals. Due to retirements and the creation of new positions, all openings will be posted and filled according to Wapakoneta City Schools’ negotiated contracts. If you are wondering about potential budget cuts to Special Education based on the proposed budget bill...so are we! However, we hope that this move helps us to be be good stewards of the money that we receive regardless. We are excited about this transition and look forward to continuing to serve our students with excellence! Are you interested in applying? https://www.wapak.org/page/employment