Wawasee Moves Closer To New Syracuse Elementary
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Kathy [email protected]
The first step toward that goal was the approval of a $277,500 purchase agreement with the Eagles for 15 acres of land along Kern Road. “That’s $18,500 per acre,” said Superintendent Tom Edington. “I understand farm acres aren’t that much, but this is next to our property.”
Edington presented a timeline for the school project at the work session that followed the board’s regular meeting. If approved at a later date, the next steps would be deciding on a design, advertising, requesting bids and all the other requirements associated with capital projects. The estimated finish date would be the start of school 2017.
Edington also laid out plans for work on the other schools in the corporation, including a new roof at North Webster Elementary in a few years and eventual work at Milford School. He advised that it would be prudent to maintain the buildings on a 15-year schedule, which would also possibly keep the tax rate about the same every year.
During the work session, attorney David Cates advised the board of policy changes they might consider. No action was taken on any matter.
The board did vote on issues at the regular public meeting that preceded the work session. In the “Good News” segment, they accepted a $3,000 donation to go toward the Youth Fund from Women of Today.
WOT President Holly Tuttle also presented to each school an iPad mini and two tickets to the club’s “Howl at the Owl” Halloween fundraiser. They additionally accepted a donation from the North Webster Kiwanis and K21 Foundation for $1,000 to assist with the gardening project for kindergarteners and first-graders at North Webster.
Next, the board heard a couple reports on community events that impact the schools. Mary Gerard, vice president of human resources at Bowen Center, and Tammy Cotton, executive director of the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce and representative of Kosciusko Cares, notified the board of a suicide prevention event from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 11 at the community center. This event is also in conjunction with the Syracuse Police Department.
Gerard told the board that teen suicide is an epidemic in the state; not only is it a major cause of death among teenagers, second only to accidents, but also Indiana rates highest in the number of teen suicides among all the states. Huntter Randall, corporate training coordinator from Bowen Center, will lead the training event.
Gerard said they presented a similar program at Tippecanoe Valley High School which was well received by the community. Instead of depending on teachers and administrators for early detection, this program informs how everybody, especially bus drivers, cafeteria workers and janitors, might be tuned in earlier to problems. Cotton said that the chamber also offers a program in mental health care, and wants to extend its services to the entire community and schools, not just to businesses.
Edington reminded the board that every student in the corporation is entitled to two free sessions of counseling at any Bowen Center location. Funding is available, creating access to treatment for everybody.
Another report was presented by Megan McClellan, Wawasee Trails director, on the progress of the bike and walking trails and how they might be used by the schools. She recently received a grant which will be used to determine the needs of, and the use by, students and families.
In other business, the board:
• Received a list of dual-credit career and technology courses.
• Heard school grades from the state would be made public today. The corportion as a whole was given a B; Wawasee High School received a B; Wawasee Middle and Milford schools, both B; North Webster and Syracuse schools, both C.
• Granted a leave of absence to Terri Blauvelt, Milford School special education teacher, from approximately Nov. 6 to Dec. 22.
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The first step toward that goal was the approval of a $277,500 purchase agreement with the Eagles for 15 acres of land along Kern Road. “That’s $18,500 per acre,” said Superintendent Tom Edington. “I understand farm acres aren’t that much, but this is next to our property.”
Edington presented a timeline for the school project at the work session that followed the board’s regular meeting. If approved at a later date, the next steps would be deciding on a design, advertising, requesting bids and all the other requirements associated with capital projects. The estimated finish date would be the start of school 2017.
Edington also laid out plans for work on the other schools in the corporation, including a new roof at North Webster Elementary in a few years and eventual work at Milford School. He advised that it would be prudent to maintain the buildings on a 15-year schedule, which would also possibly keep the tax rate about the same every year.
During the work session, attorney David Cates advised the board of policy changes they might consider. No action was taken on any matter.
The board did vote on issues at the regular public meeting that preceded the work session. In the “Good News” segment, they accepted a $3,000 donation to go toward the Youth Fund from Women of Today.
WOT President Holly Tuttle also presented to each school an iPad mini and two tickets to the club’s “Howl at the Owl” Halloween fundraiser. They additionally accepted a donation from the North Webster Kiwanis and K21 Foundation for $1,000 to assist with the gardening project for kindergarteners and first-graders at North Webster.
Next, the board heard a couple reports on community events that impact the schools. Mary Gerard, vice president of human resources at Bowen Center, and Tammy Cotton, executive director of the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce and representative of Kosciusko Cares, notified the board of a suicide prevention event from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 11 at the community center. This event is also in conjunction with the Syracuse Police Department.
Gerard told the board that teen suicide is an epidemic in the state; not only is it a major cause of death among teenagers, second only to accidents, but also Indiana rates highest in the number of teen suicides among all the states. Huntter Randall, corporate training coordinator from Bowen Center, will lead the training event.
Gerard said they presented a similar program at Tippecanoe Valley High School which was well received by the community. Instead of depending on teachers and administrators for early detection, this program informs how everybody, especially bus drivers, cafeteria workers and janitors, might be tuned in earlier to problems. Cotton said that the chamber also offers a program in mental health care, and wants to extend its services to the entire community and schools, not just to businesses.
Edington reminded the board that every student in the corporation is entitled to two free sessions of counseling at any Bowen Center location. Funding is available, creating access to treatment for everybody.
Another report was presented by Megan McClellan, Wawasee Trails director, on the progress of the bike and walking trails and how they might be used by the schools. She recently received a grant which will be used to determine the needs of, and the use by, students and families.
In other business, the board:
• Received a list of dual-credit career and technology courses.
• Heard school grades from the state would be made public today. The corportion as a whole was given a B; Wawasee High School received a B; Wawasee Middle and Milford schools, both B; North Webster and Syracuse schools, both C.
• Granted a leave of absence to Terri Blauvelt, Milford School special education teacher, from approximately Nov. 6 to Dec. 22.
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