If everything goes as planned, Warsaw Community High School should have its new football stadium, auditorium and other improvements by 2006.

Warsaw School Board members got a look Monday night at the additions and renovations planned for the high school as architect Dean Ellingworth showed the board the master plan.

Exterior changes include: adding to the south end a track, football field, bleachers (with seating for 4,500) and concession areas, outdoor classrooms, separate locker rooms for football and baseball, and varsity and practice football fields.

Near the tennis courts, there will be varsity and practice soccer fields, concession and restroom areas, locker rooms for tennis and soccer and additional parking.

Added on to the school building will be a performing arts center, which will comprise a 990-seat auditorium, including a second-floor balcony; band, choral and dance rooms; teachers' offices and storage; loading dock; and shop and costume areas. It also will include future growth space.

The WCHS cafeteria will be expanded, as will the weight and wrestling area. The administration area will be redesigned to bring all four assistant principals into the same area and a new entrance will be created for greater security.

Besides the changes to the high school, a 15,000-square-foot addition will be built onto the administration building to house the technology department and rooms for training and storage.

Lakeview Middle School also will see some changes to the area previously occupied by Ivy Tech. The Alternative Learning Center and Kosciusko Literacy Services will move to that area, and changes must be made to accommodate handicapped students.

So far, according to Jerry Gibson of Construction Control, the construction manager, the total cost for all planned construction will be $26,164,487. Approximately $24.1 million of that will be for the high school, with $1.5 million for the administration building and approximately $400,000 for Lakeview.

He said construction should begin by September, and he expects all work to be done by January 2006. When asked what projects will be done first, Gibson said the phasing schedule has not been done yet.

The school board has committed to spending a maximum of $30 million on the projects.

Board members also:

• Heard from superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire that enrollment in all schools is at 6,375, up 97 students from the same time last year.

• Heard a presentation by Jacque Brandenburg, Atwood principal, Mary Etienne, art teacher, and three second-grade students on their program of integrating art curriculum with language arts.

• Approved the Joint Service Agreement for restructuring the North Central Indiana Special Education Cooperative, and approved a resolution agreeing to sell the cooperative's property on Jefferson Street in Warsaw. The cooperative moved into the building in March 2001.

Warsaw School Board members are: Craig Allebach, Larry Chamberlain, Gene England, Cathy Folk, Jim Folk, Mark Minatel and Ron Yeiter. [[In-content Ad]]