Diane Altemeyer, the current director of federal and state programs for Seymour Community School Corp., has announced Katie Leitzman will be stepping into the role of director on July 1.
During a recent board of education meeting, Altemeyer said she knows Leitzman has some great things in order for the schools, and she congratulated her for carrying on the tradition in federal programs.
Her plan was to retire at the completion of this school year, but Altemeyer will instead be transferring to a part-time position to aid with the transition and new state reporting requirements.
Leitzman has been serving as the assistant director of federal programs for nearly two years.
“It has been my privilege to learn from Mrs. Altemeyer during my time as the assistant director,” Leitzman said. “Her dedication to the families and students we serve and her overall impact on SCSC is immeasurable.”
Leitzman began her career teaching English at Columbus Signature Academy New Tech, which is a project-based learning school.
“I was then offered the incredible opportunity to work at Seymour High School teaching English 9, English 10 accelerated and newspaper,” Leitzman said. “In 2019, I became our district PBIS coordinator, launching the PBIS program in our elementary buildings.”
She then became assistant director of federal programs for the corporation.
“Federal programs benefit all students and staff at SCSC. Federal programs serve students who are learning a second or even third language through Title III and NESP,” Leitzman said. “We also target students who may be considered at risk, such as those who are experiencing poverty or are homeless, through Title I funding.”
She said those federal funds also serve to improve SCSC staff quality and effectiveness, thus increasing student achievement.
“It is my hope to utilize these funds to continue building and moving our programs forward for our students and our staff,” Leitzman said. “Through this position, it is my goal to ensure that every child at SCSC has the resources, support and opportunities they need to be successful.”
During the school board meeting, Leitzman asked the board to approve permission to accept two grants: The 2021 Title IV grant for $61,469.43 and the 2021-2023 Title IIA grant for $147,751.53.
Leitzman said Title IV is a federal funding source that has three main focus areas: Providing students with a well-rounded education, creating safe and healthy schools and effectively using technology to provide high-quality education.
“This grant supports our elementary PBIS programs through the purchase of materials,” she said. “We also utilize Title IV to purchase digital curriculum tools, such as Kami and WeVideo.”
Title IIA is awarded to increase the academic achievement of all students through improving teacher and principal effectiveness, Leitzman said.
“SCSC utilizes our Title IIA funds to provide all of our staff with professional development opportunities, and we offer all staff the opportunity to participate in our summer professional development and pay staff a stipend to attend,” she said. “We believe every member of our staff serves a crucial role in our students’ success and utilize these funds to continue staff education and growth.”
The board members unanimously approved accepting both grants.