SYRACUSE -ÊIn January, the Wawasee School board will receive the final design of the new North Webster Elementary School for approval.

Tuesday, Gary R. Watkins, of Barton, Coe, Vilamaa Architects & Engineers, Inc., Fort Wayne, presented preliminary designs for the new elementary. The plans are not final. Thursday, Watkins will meet with North Webster Elementary staff members to get their input.

There were two conceptual plans presented at the board meeting - Plan P and Plan Q.

Both plans attempt to keep bus traffic separate from parent drop-off and visitor traffic. Also, both plans keep grade levels in "pods." In each plan, the media center and administration offices are centrally located while the "noisy areas," such as the gym and band room, are separated from regular classrooms.

Space around the elementary will allow for playgrounds and athletic fields.

The difference between plans "P" and "Q" is that in plan "Q," the pods are angled to provide more space between the pods.

The building and access roads will take up approximately 60 percent of the total property in either plan. Watkins said there is plenty of area left for future development.

The new elementary will be built on property Wawasee purchased in November for $322,092. The 68 acres, formerly owned by Joe Barrett and Richard Kistler, is at the intersection of CRs 750E and 600N, North Webster.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved buying four regular buses and one handicapped equipped bus from Kerlin Bus Sales. The total price will be $260,338. The bid was the lowest of the four bids submitted. Kerlin Bus Sales is in Kosciusko County.

• Approved renewal of the corporation's liability insurance policy through Hall & Marose Agency, Inc. The total program premium is $139,142, up from the 1998-1999 premium of $133,318. The package includes workers compensation for $30,076; commercial umbrella for $13,250; commercial automobile policy for $38,114; and a package policy, including property, crime and other liability, for $59,702.

• Awarded tax anticipation warrants to NatCity Investment, Inc. The interest rate on the warrants will be 4.65 percent. The school corporation will receive the first $30,000 today and the rest of $3 million in January. The general fund will receive $2.5 million of the total and the transportation fund will receive $0.5 million.

• Gave the third reading and adopted board policies 9.32 and 9.33.

Policy 9.32 states that those students who haven't met the Graduation Qualifying Exam standards but successfully complete 40 credits, beginning with the class of 2004, and meet all other criteria outlined for an Indiana diploma and local requirements for graduation are eligible for a certificate of completion.

Policy 9.33 states that students who have met other requirements to completion but do not meet the requirements necessary to earn a diploma or certificate of completion will be awarded a certificate of attendance.

• Accepted donations from the North Webster Elementary School's Parent Teacher Friend Organization totaling $13,900.

• Approved Nancy Nelson's contract for the second semester GED classes. GED classes will run from Jan. 17 to April 20. They will meet a total of 75 hours. The first pay period for Nelson will be March 1 and the second pay will be April 27.

Members of the school board include Jeffrey Wells, Carol Swartzendruber, Marion Acton, Brian Dawes and David Carey. [[In-content Ad]]