WCS Board To Consider Moving Forward With $46 Million Building Plan
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw Schools' building program, approved last spring and then delayed, may soon be back on track.
According to Craig Allebach, school board president, the board will decide at its October meeting whether or not to advertise to hold a "10-28" hearing at its November meeting. School corporations are required by law to present certain financial information during such a hearing before embarking on a building project.
The estimated $46-million building program was approved by the school board at its March 18 meeting. However, in April, Rande Thorpe, business manager for Warsaw Community Schools, said that, because of the education budget cuts at the state level and the uncertainty of state financing, "we believe it's prudent to keep those things on hold" until it's clear what funding is coming from the state.
At the August meeting, the board decided to re-evaluate, and possibly proceed, with the building program.
The Facilities Plan 2002-2011 the board approved includes:
• A new three-section school to be built in Prairie Township to replace Atwood Elementary;
• An auditorium and performing arts center at Warsaw Community High School;
• Outdoor physical development facilities at WCHS, including a track; football, softball and soccer fields; band practice area; and "all related infrastructure to support these facilities";
• A weight and wrestling room at WCHS;
• An addition to the central office building to house technology and other support services.
School superintendent Dr. David McGuire said Tuesday that he and others are in the process of evaluating architects for the project, and he hopes to be able to recommend one or more architects at this month's school boardmeeting. However, if a satisfactory architect is not found, the process will continue until one or more is agreed upon.
"The 10-28 gives us permission to start on the design phase," he said, emphasizing that all the plans before were conceptual and there are no actual designs yet.
"At this point there is no plan, no cost estimate or bids associated with (the building program)," he said.
Allebach said first the bonding process will be decided, then over the winter and into the spring the corporation will advertise for bids for specific projects.
Rumors circulating around town already have groundbreaking for a new football stadium at Warsaw Community High School scheduled for spring.
"I think that's wishful thinking on their part," McGuire said.
He said it has not even been decided exactly where some of the facilities will be built.
"We have some rough ideas where things can be located, but it will depend on the architect," he said.
Allebach said the softball fields will have to be moved before a football stadium can be built to ensure that softball games can continue while the building is going on.
One of the issues facing the board is financing the project: originally the board planned to use a combination of bonding, debt service and money from the Capital Projects Fund. However, now that the state has cut funding to school districts, the state allows districts to move money around between funds, meaning WCS can take money out of the CPF to put into the General Fund to make up for the state shortfall. That could alter the financing for the building project, Allebach said.
There also is a question over where to build the new elementary school, McGuire said.
"We listened pretty carefully when people said we should consider where kids will come from to a new school," he said.
The new school originally was planned for Prairie Township as a replacement for Atwood Elementary and to handle some of the increase in students from Leesburg and Harrison elementaries. However, McGuire said, most of the new population growth around Warsaw is to the north.
"I don't want to site a school where we don't have kids," he said.
For that reason, the WCS administration has received permission from the school board to conduct a demographic study before the new elementary is built.
Another factor that may influence the building project is four school board seats are up for election November.
The seats now occupied by Brad Brail, Cathy Folk, Larry Chamberlain and Roy Szymanski will be voted on in November, and Brail is not running for re-election.
"We could have a totally new look to the board," McGuire said.
The school board's next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in the administration building. [[In-content Ad]]
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Warsaw Schools' building program, approved last spring and then delayed, may soon be back on track.
According to Craig Allebach, school board president, the board will decide at its October meeting whether or not to advertise to hold a "10-28" hearing at its November meeting. School corporations are required by law to present certain financial information during such a hearing before embarking on a building project.
The estimated $46-million building program was approved by the school board at its March 18 meeting. However, in April, Rande Thorpe, business manager for Warsaw Community Schools, said that, because of the education budget cuts at the state level and the uncertainty of state financing, "we believe it's prudent to keep those things on hold" until it's clear what funding is coming from the state.
At the August meeting, the board decided to re-evaluate, and possibly proceed, with the building program.
The Facilities Plan 2002-2011 the board approved includes:
• A new three-section school to be built in Prairie Township to replace Atwood Elementary;
• An auditorium and performing arts center at Warsaw Community High School;
• Outdoor physical development facilities at WCHS, including a track; football, softball and soccer fields; band practice area; and "all related infrastructure to support these facilities";
• A weight and wrestling room at WCHS;
• An addition to the central office building to house technology and other support services.
School superintendent Dr. David McGuire said Tuesday that he and others are in the process of evaluating architects for the project, and he hopes to be able to recommend one or more architects at this month's school boardmeeting. However, if a satisfactory architect is not found, the process will continue until one or more is agreed upon.
"The 10-28 gives us permission to start on the design phase," he said, emphasizing that all the plans before were conceptual and there are no actual designs yet.
"At this point there is no plan, no cost estimate or bids associated with (the building program)," he said.
Allebach said first the bonding process will be decided, then over the winter and into the spring the corporation will advertise for bids for specific projects.
Rumors circulating around town already have groundbreaking for a new football stadium at Warsaw Community High School scheduled for spring.
"I think that's wishful thinking on their part," McGuire said.
He said it has not even been decided exactly where some of the facilities will be built.
"We have some rough ideas where things can be located, but it will depend on the architect," he said.
Allebach said the softball fields will have to be moved before a football stadium can be built to ensure that softball games can continue while the building is going on.
One of the issues facing the board is financing the project: originally the board planned to use a combination of bonding, debt service and money from the Capital Projects Fund. However, now that the state has cut funding to school districts, the state allows districts to move money around between funds, meaning WCS can take money out of the CPF to put into the General Fund to make up for the state shortfall. That could alter the financing for the building project, Allebach said.
There also is a question over where to build the new elementary school, McGuire said.
"We listened pretty carefully when people said we should consider where kids will come from to a new school," he said.
The new school originally was planned for Prairie Township as a replacement for Atwood Elementary and to handle some of the increase in students from Leesburg and Harrison elementaries. However, McGuire said, most of the new population growth around Warsaw is to the north.
"I don't want to site a school where we don't have kids," he said.
For that reason, the WCS administration has received permission from the school board to conduct a demographic study before the new elementary is built.
Another factor that may influence the building project is four school board seats are up for election November.
The seats now occupied by Brad Brail, Cathy Folk, Larry Chamberlain and Roy Szymanski will be voted on in November, and Brail is not running for re-election.
"We could have a totally new look to the board," McGuire said.
The school board's next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in the administration building. [[In-content Ad]]