Legal steps required for Warsaw Community Schools' building program got under way Monday when the Warsaw school board gave the superintendent permission to hold a preliminary financing hearing at the November school board meeting.

Called a "1028 hearing," the public meeting is required by the state. However, the administration has made some changes to the building and renovation projects approved last spring, and those changes will be discussed at the 1028 hearing as well.

The approval to hold the 1028 hearing at the Nov. 18 meeting followed the board's approval of WCS finance manager Rande Thorpe's request for a preliminary bond resolution. Thorpe requested a bond for $5.87 million.

For the past several years, Thorpe said, WCS has faced, and still faces, a deficit - currently about $700,000. The preliminary bond resolution will allow the school corporation to transfer funds from the general fund to the debt service fund, something not usually allowed by the state. However, since the state is not funding school corporations at the usual level, the transfer is allowed in certain cases.

The necessary public hearing for the bond resolution, a tax neutrality statement (which specifies that the bond will not raise taxes) and an additional appropriation hearing will take place at the Nov. 18 school board meeting.

Because of possible confusion around the $5.98 million bond resolution and the proposed approximately $30-million bond for the building project, school superintendent Dr. David McGuire sought to clarify matters.

"A question we're asked frequently is why would we be recommending building when we don't have the money to do what we want to do now," he said. The school corporation's money, he said, is allocated to special funds that are controlled by specific laws. The building program will have no effect on the $5.87 million bond.

He also said the issue of building a new elementary school has been put on hold until the board learns the results of a demographic study to be conducted in the spring.

"We're not discussing the demographic needs of the community," he said. "They've changed since March."

Building projects to be discussed will be renovations and changes at Warsaw Community High School, at Lakeview Middle School and at the administration building. Specific details of those renovations and changes will not be made public until the Nov. 18 meeting, but board member Brad Brail asked McGuire if the high school's performing arts center is being deleted from the plans.

McGuire replied that "there will be an auditorium."

The board also said nothing has yet been designed, so an estimated time line for construction is not possible, but they expect some of the more minor projects to begin next spring, while other larger projects would begin in the summer and fall.

In a related matter, the board approved Scearce Rudisel Architects, in association with Schmidt Architects, as the architects for the building program. Construction Control Inc. was approved as the construction management company.

The fees for the architects and the construction management company have not yet been negotiated, according to McGuire.

In other business:

• Transportation director Della Swain received permission from the board to advertise for the purchase of eight buses, including one with a lift, and one 15-passenger van to be used for adult student transportation. Swain said by advertising now, the buses should be delivered by summer and would be ready for the 2003-04 school year.

• The board heard a report from Jefferson Elementary about a Title I math program called "Spartan Learning Connections," in which smaller groups, more individualized instruction and focused instruction are helping students in all grades and with all skill levels understand math concept and processes. So far the program is used in Jefferson only, will soon be taught in Lincoln Elementary, and will be expanded to language arts.

• McGuire said enrollment in all Warsaw schools is at 6,456 students, approximately 80 students more than this time than last year.

• Board member Larry Chamberlain notified the board of the ninth annual Education Summit, scheduled for 7 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at 2517 Restaurant. The theme of this year's summit will be "Let's Make a Difference," and Juvenile Court Judge Charles Pratt, of Allen County, will be the keynote speaker. The summit is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by calling the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce at 267-6311.

• Kristin Wilson, WCHS senior, was recognized for her achievement as a National Merit semifinalist. She is the daughter of Robert and Brenda Wilson, Winona Lake.

• The second annual chess tournament is scheduled for Nov. 23 at Edgewood Middle School. Last year, five students placed in the individual state tournaments, with two of them winning the title of Indiana State Champions. Five students from Harrison and Eisenhower elementaries also participated in the national tournament, and one was named national champion in her division.

The board's next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 in the administration building. Board members are: Craig Allebach, Brad Brail, Larry Chamberlain, Cathy Folk, James Folk, Mark Minatel and Roy Szymanski. Superintendent is Dr. David McGuire. [[In-content Ad]]