Funding For WCS Updates Sought
July 25, 2019 at 1:46 a.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
At Warsaw Community High School, Hoffert wants to update the main entrance for safety and security issues, update the STEM labs and correct corridors.
Hoffert stated the high school was built in 1991.
“The labs were built for 1991, not built for the future,” he said, also stating he wants the labs to teach students for jobs that haven’t been created yet.
The security measures Hoffert wants to change is to make it so there’s two main entrances – one for parents and visitors and another for students.
Hoffert also wants to add things to the school district, such as security camera upgrades, guidance staff, school resource officers and cybersecurity.
Hoffert said parents feel more comfortable when they see a police vehicle outside of the school.
He also wants to add guidance counselors to look after the mental well-being of the district’s students.
He wants to add cybersecurity to reduce the threat of the school corporation being hacked.
However, getting the funding to do the improvements Hoffert wants is not as simple as saving up money and spending it like people can do for a mortgage, since school districts can’t do that legally, he said. Hoffert also said the school board can’t legally transfer money from one fund to another.
Todd A. Samuelson, of Bakertilly Municipal Advisors, presented two scenarios to pay for the updates.
The two scenarios include taking out two types of bonds, with various repayment terms from 12 to 20 years.
The school board will discuss their options further during next week’s board meeting.
In other business, the school board learned:
• new playgrounds were built at Harrison and Eisenhower elementary schools.
• WCHS will have a new three-tier system to weighted grades. The school will have a 5.0 grading scale for AP and dual credit classes; a 4.5 grading scale for internships, work-based learning and honors level classes; and a 4.0 scale for all other classes.
WCHS will have grades and grading guidelines posted by department on the first day of school.
At Warsaw Community High School, Hoffert wants to update the main entrance for safety and security issues, update the STEM labs and correct corridors.
Hoffert stated the high school was built in 1991.
“The labs were built for 1991, not built for the future,” he said, also stating he wants the labs to teach students for jobs that haven’t been created yet.
The security measures Hoffert wants to change is to make it so there’s two main entrances – one for parents and visitors and another for students.
Hoffert also wants to add things to the school district, such as security camera upgrades, guidance staff, school resource officers and cybersecurity.
Hoffert said parents feel more comfortable when they see a police vehicle outside of the school.
He also wants to add guidance counselors to look after the mental well-being of the district’s students.
He wants to add cybersecurity to reduce the threat of the school corporation being hacked.
However, getting the funding to do the improvements Hoffert wants is not as simple as saving up money and spending it like people can do for a mortgage, since school districts can’t do that legally, he said. Hoffert also said the school board can’t legally transfer money from one fund to another.
Todd A. Samuelson, of Bakertilly Municipal Advisors, presented two scenarios to pay for the updates.
The two scenarios include taking out two types of bonds, with various repayment terms from 12 to 20 years.
The school board will discuss their options further during next week’s board meeting.
In other business, the school board learned:
• new playgrounds were built at Harrison and Eisenhower elementary schools.
• WCHS will have a new three-tier system to weighted grades. The school will have a 5.0 grading scale for AP and dual credit classes; a 4.5 grading scale for internships, work-based learning and honors level classes; and a 4.0 scale for all other classes.
WCHS will have grades and grading guidelines posted by department on the first day of school.
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