Decisions were made Monday night by the Warsaw School Board on an architectural firm for the master facility plan, wage increases for employees and an early learning center at Claypool Elementary School.

The board heard about the early learning center by Claypool Principal Melissa Rees at its work session June 19. Director of Special Services Deb Blatz reiterated the information last night.

She said the preschool and child care will be for children 3 to 5 years old. The child care will be offered from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.

Warsaw has a preschool at Jefferson, but Blatz said she’s dreamed of another at a Warsaw school. Claypool has the highest poverty rate in the school district at 66 percent, she said, but little opportunity for an early learning center.

She said Warsaw can increase kids’ probability for success with the center, and market it to areas outside of the Warsaw school district.

Registration starts immediately through Aug. 7, with the center opening the first day of school Aug. 13.

The first class will have 17 to 20 students, Blatz said. They have sought grant dollars from various organizations such as United Way, Dekko and others.

The approximate projected expenditures are $89,810, with revenue projected at $24,051, though those figures are not in stone at this point.

Deb Wiggins, board member, made a motion to approve the center with the caveat that rates for both the child care and learning center will be reviewed by board president Jennifer Tandy, other board members and Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz before they are presented to the public. Wiggins said she wants to make sure the rates are competitive and does what it needs to do, she said.

Her motion was unanimously approved.

Hintz said he was “very excited about the program.”

Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said the wage and salary recommendation has been a long-term project, starting back in December.

Preliminary possibilities were presented at the May public work session. The board approved the pay increases Monday, to be effective July 1.

The recommendation will include an additional 10 cents per hour to be given in January for all hourly employees in good standing with WCS.

The recommendation includes increases of 3.9 percent for support staff, 2.9 percent for special services and 2.8 percent for administrators. The teaching staff is under contract through June 2013 so is outside the scope of the recommendation.

The specific amount of increase for each employee will vary depending on their proximity to regionally competitive wages and salaries. While the recommendation is for year one of a three-year plan, instructional assistants will be fully addressed in the first year.

Scott said the total cost of the salary and wage recommendation is $492,839 for year one.

For the long-range facility feasibility study, the board unanimously selected Kovert Hawkins Architects Inc.

Kovert Hawkins was the firm that previously worked with the school corporation on the study, design and building of the new Madison and Leesburg elementary schools and renovations of Jefferson and Claypool elementaries.

On May 14, three architectural firms were interviewed by a representative committee of board members and administrators. At the June 19 work session, Kovert Hawkins, Jeffersonville, and CSO Architects, Indianapolis, answered further questions.

CSO Architects, Indianapolis, bid a base fee of $96,680 for the work, while Kovert Hawkins Architects Inc. bid $74,000.

The board said both firms would be a good choice.

After the board approved Kovert Hawkins to do the study, Jamie Lake, representing Kovert Hawkins, thanked the board for selecting them. He complimented them on the process, saying it was very transparent and open. He agreed that all firms that sought the job would have been a good choice.

“We’re very pleased to continue our relationship with you. We will do our best, you can be assured of that,” Lake said.

Hintz also reported for the second consecutive year, Washington Elementary School will provide a half-day morning kindergarten class beginning Aug. 13. They just got 18 students for the program.