Webster Patrons Get Tour, Facts About Old School
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH WEBSTER - What will become of the North Webster Elementary School, located on Ind. 13, wasn't even addressed at Thursday's public meeting.
But no matter what happens to the building, it won't be cheap.
The informational meeting, led by Wawasee School Superintendent Mark Stock, was held mainly to let interested area residents know the facts about the school building and how much it costs for maintenance and upkeep.
Of the approximately 60 people who attended at the meeting in the school's cafeteria, citizens, school board members and school district employees, no one asked about using the school building for a specific purpose.
Interest in the building has been ongoing since the district announced plans to build a $26 million elementary outside of town in June with the intention of abandoning the urban school.
Stock warned groups interested in the building to look carefully at the costs "and know exactly what you're doing or it will become an eyesore."
The structure has been enlarged in several phases in the last nine decades.
Demolition of the entire school and reseeding the site would cost approximately $250,000, Stock said, an amount that is included in the budget for the new school.
To upgrade the current building, install new mechanics and for site planning and paving, the estimated cost is anywhere from $195,000 to $310,000, he said.
To demolish the old section of the school, which was built in 1917, would cost from $100,000 to $150,000, he said.
"So it would cost between $295,000 to $460,000 just to use what we would call the better parts of this facility," Stock said.
The building sits on a 6.18-acre site and there are several outlaying lots including an "athletic field."
Two appraisals estimate the value of the property from $225,000 to $250,000. If the building is torn down the value increases to $350,000 to $375,000, Stock said.
Currently the school district pays an annual average of $30,000 for natural gas and $46,000 for electricity.
Following the presentation, questions were asked ranging in subject from moving the playground equipment to specifics about the interior systems.
Problems with the building any new owner might face include removal of asbestos, estimated at a cost of $30,000. Two ancient, gas-fed boilers have been nursed along for years, according to head custodian Steve Cunnington, and, with seven levels inside the building accessible by a maze of steep stairwells and ramps, bringing parts of the building up to American Disabilities Act code will be a great undertaking.
"No matter what you did, future upgrades will still be expensive," the superintendent said.
Some of the kitchen equipment and all of the playground equipment will stay, he said.
A 10,000-gallon diesel gas tank is buried on the property and is in compliance with current underground tank regulations.
The school now serves approximately 600 students and has seen enrollments of more than 800. It will remain in service until construction of the new elementary school is completed, Stock said, which is expected for the 2002-03 school year.
The new facility will sit on 68 acres, located at the intersection of CR 750E and CR 600N.
Stock also said he was not sure where the proceeds from the sale of the building would go, and that there is no deadline for selling the school.
If no one buys the property, he said, the Wawasee school board would decide at a public meeting what to do with the site.
In November a public forum will be scheduled when the school board will take suggestions from the community regarding the facility.
Interested audience members toured the facility following the presentation. Among those touring were patrons who attended North Webster School as had their grandparents, parents and children. [[In-content Ad]]
NORTH WEBSTER - What will become of the North Webster Elementary School, located on Ind. 13, wasn't even addressed at Thursday's public meeting.
But no matter what happens to the building, it won't be cheap.
The informational meeting, led by Wawasee School Superintendent Mark Stock, was held mainly to let interested area residents know the facts about the school building and how much it costs for maintenance and upkeep.
Of the approximately 60 people who attended at the meeting in the school's cafeteria, citizens, school board members and school district employees, no one asked about using the school building for a specific purpose.
Interest in the building has been ongoing since the district announced plans to build a $26 million elementary outside of town in June with the intention of abandoning the urban school.
Stock warned groups interested in the building to look carefully at the costs "and know exactly what you're doing or it will become an eyesore."
The structure has been enlarged in several phases in the last nine decades.
Demolition of the entire school and reseeding the site would cost approximately $250,000, Stock said, an amount that is included in the budget for the new school.
To upgrade the current building, install new mechanics and for site planning and paving, the estimated cost is anywhere from $195,000 to $310,000, he said.
To demolish the old section of the school, which was built in 1917, would cost from $100,000 to $150,000, he said.
"So it would cost between $295,000 to $460,000 just to use what we would call the better parts of this facility," Stock said.
The building sits on a 6.18-acre site and there are several outlaying lots including an "athletic field."
Two appraisals estimate the value of the property from $225,000 to $250,000. If the building is torn down the value increases to $350,000 to $375,000, Stock said.
Currently the school district pays an annual average of $30,000 for natural gas and $46,000 for electricity.
Following the presentation, questions were asked ranging in subject from moving the playground equipment to specifics about the interior systems.
Problems with the building any new owner might face include removal of asbestos, estimated at a cost of $30,000. Two ancient, gas-fed boilers have been nursed along for years, according to head custodian Steve Cunnington, and, with seven levels inside the building accessible by a maze of steep stairwells and ramps, bringing parts of the building up to American Disabilities Act code will be a great undertaking.
"No matter what you did, future upgrades will still be expensive," the superintendent said.
Some of the kitchen equipment and all of the playground equipment will stay, he said.
A 10,000-gallon diesel gas tank is buried on the property and is in compliance with current underground tank regulations.
The school now serves approximately 600 students and has seen enrollments of more than 800. It will remain in service until construction of the new elementary school is completed, Stock said, which is expected for the 2002-03 school year.
The new facility will sit on 68 acres, located at the intersection of CR 750E and CR 600N.
Stock also said he was not sure where the proceeds from the sale of the building would go, and that there is no deadline for selling the school.
If no one buys the property, he said, the Wawasee school board would decide at a public meeting what to do with the site.
In November a public forum will be scheduled when the school board will take suggestions from the community regarding the facility.
Interested audience members toured the facility following the presentation. Among those touring were patrons who attended North Webster School as had their grandparents, parents and children. [[In-content Ad]]