Tippecanoe Valley School Board Chooses Architectural Firm

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Matthew Weigelt, Times-Union Staff Writer-

MENTONE - A $10-million project came down to a 1.5-percent difference.

Tippecanoe Valley school board Monday voted for architectural firm Moake Park Group, Fort Wayne, to design renovation plans for Tippecanoe Valley High School. Board president Tom Weaver gave the lone "nay" vote.

The board also bargained with Pat Portteus, the regional manager of The Skillman Corp., a project administration construction management company. The board settled on a $30,000-per-month payment schedule for the duration of the proposed 18-month project. Portteus did not accept the offer. He opted to confer with his business partner first.

Board members tried to shave several hundred dollars from Skillman's inflation-driven price increase. The increases keep well-qualified employees with the firm, Portteus said. The board cited that the economy is flat.

"My corn and beans have gone down the past several years," board member Hal D. Hoffman said.

Moake Park edged out two other architectural firms - Odle, McGuire & Shook and R. W. Clinton - by offering a 4.5 to 5 percent fee on the $10 million project. R.W. Clinton gave the next lowest bid at 5.9 percent. Clinton was at 6 percent.

The school board and Moake Park will need to hammer out the exact fee.

Board members named their two preferences of the three architect choices. They whittled the number firms down from five last Monday.

The school board plans to revamp a section of the high school and add new classrooms. The project could jump $5 million if the board opts to add an auditorium to the list of improvements.

In other business, the school board:

• Transferred $90,000 from the capital projects fund to the general fund. The transfer compensates for the reduction in tuition support from the state. The corporation made a similar transfer last fall.

• Approved the changes in school policy regarding civility and student foreign exchanges.

• Approved changes to the prom policy that allows non-Tippecanoe Valley High School students over age 21 to attend the event. Board member David O'Brien dissented, saying he was against 21-year-olds attending the prom.

• Approved the 2003-04 school year calendar.

• Named Tom Weaver as president of the Board of Finance and Mark Wise as secretary.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Board members are president Tom Weaver, vice president Hal Hoffman, secretary Mark Wise, David O'Brien and Rod Eaton. Superintendent is Dr. Karen S. Boling. [[In-content Ad]]

MENTONE - A $10-million project came down to a 1.5-percent difference.

Tippecanoe Valley school board Monday voted for architectural firm Moake Park Group, Fort Wayne, to design renovation plans for Tippecanoe Valley High School. Board president Tom Weaver gave the lone "nay" vote.

The board also bargained with Pat Portteus, the regional manager of The Skillman Corp., a project administration construction management company. The board settled on a $30,000-per-month payment schedule for the duration of the proposed 18-month project. Portteus did not accept the offer. He opted to confer with his business partner first.

Board members tried to shave several hundred dollars from Skillman's inflation-driven price increase. The increases keep well-qualified employees with the firm, Portteus said. The board cited that the economy is flat.

"My corn and beans have gone down the past several years," board member Hal D. Hoffman said.

Moake Park edged out two other architectural firms - Odle, McGuire & Shook and R. W. Clinton - by offering a 4.5 to 5 percent fee on the $10 million project. R.W. Clinton gave the next lowest bid at 5.9 percent. Clinton was at 6 percent.

The school board and Moake Park will need to hammer out the exact fee.

Board members named their two preferences of the three architect choices. They whittled the number firms down from five last Monday.

The school board plans to revamp a section of the high school and add new classrooms. The project could jump $5 million if the board opts to add an auditorium to the list of improvements.

In other business, the school board:

• Transferred $90,000 from the capital projects fund to the general fund. The transfer compensates for the reduction in tuition support from the state. The corporation made a similar transfer last fall.

• Approved the changes in school policy regarding civility and student foreign exchanges.

• Approved changes to the prom policy that allows non-Tippecanoe Valley High School students over age 21 to attend the event. Board member David O'Brien dissented, saying he was against 21-year-olds attending the prom.

• Approved the 2003-04 school year calendar.

• Named Tom Weaver as president of the Board of Finance and Mark Wise as secretary.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Board members are president Tom Weaver, vice president Hal Hoffman, secretary Mark Wise, David O'Brien and Rod Eaton. Superintendent is Dr. Karen S. Boling. [[In-content Ad]]

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