Warsaw Schools Moves Forward With Warsaw Community High School Building Project
July 14, 2022 at 12:39 a.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
The vote came after representatives from integrated design and delivery engineering firm Performance Services gave a presentation to the Board on the construction project at the high school.
Jerry Rolfson, senior architect with Performance Services, gave an overview of the scope of the project. Performance Services addressed the scope of the project, including making more room in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and special education classrooms.
Another area of concern was creating easier movement through the building. That would be addressed by creating more hallway space. Rolfson also said there isn’t a lot of common space at WCHS. Performance Services looked at creating a common area that supported education outside the classroom and extracurricular use of the facility.
To help with flow in the building, Rolfson said the plan was to create a new entry to the building and putting a new corridor and common area through the courtyard. That way, if you go through that, people can continue to the gymnasium at the other side of the gymnasium. Rolfson showed the Board a rendition of the new main entrance. Along with the entrance, there will be additional parking and a drop-off lane.
Rolfson said it is planned to increase the area of the health clinic. Some needs of increased space in the clinic were seen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The space will be increased so there will be separate treatment rooms to isolate students if they’re sick.
Construction is planned to start in September. The new main entrance, administration offices, guidance offices and some of the science classrooms are planned to be completed by August 2023. The central commons, Project Lead The Way classroom and media center are planned to be completed by December 2023. Art classrooms, special education classrooms and the remainder of the science classrooms are planned on being completed by August 2024.
Board President Heather Reichenbach asked how construction would work during the school year. Rolfson said construction materials will be brought into the center of the building. The media center will be closed and that portion of the building will be rebuilt. The corridor will be locked so construction materials could be put into the courtyard in that area of the building.
Board member Mike Coon asked how entries would work during construction. Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said there will be specific entries students can go in. There will still be a check-in process. It will not be any different than what the check-in process is now.
Board member Brad Johnson asked if the contractors will have to be checked in through the school’s Raptor visitor management system. Hoffert said they will.
In other business, the Board:
• Approved price increases for paid school lunches and breakfasts for the 2022-23 school year.
The free lunch and breakfast program that ran during the pandemic ended at the end of June. The decision was made to raise prices after looking at things like the raised food prices and labor shortage.
Breakfast prices will increase 25 cents for all grades.
Chief Financial Officer April Fitterling said WCS breakfast is still free for all students yearround at Lakeview Middle School, Claypool Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary, Harrison Elementary and Leesburg Elementary. The price increases for breakfast will be for the rest of the schools.
Lunch prices will increase 15 cents for elementary schools, 10 middle schools and 25 for the high school.
• Learned Tools for School is Aug. 3.
• Approved the 2022-23 handbooks.
The vote came after representatives from integrated design and delivery engineering firm Performance Services gave a presentation to the Board on the construction project at the high school.
Jerry Rolfson, senior architect with Performance Services, gave an overview of the scope of the project. Performance Services addressed the scope of the project, including making more room in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and special education classrooms.
Another area of concern was creating easier movement through the building. That would be addressed by creating more hallway space. Rolfson also said there isn’t a lot of common space at WCHS. Performance Services looked at creating a common area that supported education outside the classroom and extracurricular use of the facility.
To help with flow in the building, Rolfson said the plan was to create a new entry to the building and putting a new corridor and common area through the courtyard. That way, if you go through that, people can continue to the gymnasium at the other side of the gymnasium. Rolfson showed the Board a rendition of the new main entrance. Along with the entrance, there will be additional parking and a drop-off lane.
Rolfson said it is planned to increase the area of the health clinic. Some needs of increased space in the clinic were seen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The space will be increased so there will be separate treatment rooms to isolate students if they’re sick.
Construction is planned to start in September. The new main entrance, administration offices, guidance offices and some of the science classrooms are planned to be completed by August 2023. The central commons, Project Lead The Way classroom and media center are planned to be completed by December 2023. Art classrooms, special education classrooms and the remainder of the science classrooms are planned on being completed by August 2024.
Board President Heather Reichenbach asked how construction would work during the school year. Rolfson said construction materials will be brought into the center of the building. The media center will be closed and that portion of the building will be rebuilt. The corridor will be locked so construction materials could be put into the courtyard in that area of the building.
Board member Mike Coon asked how entries would work during construction. Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said there will be specific entries students can go in. There will still be a check-in process. It will not be any different than what the check-in process is now.
Board member Brad Johnson asked if the contractors will have to be checked in through the school’s Raptor visitor management system. Hoffert said they will.
In other business, the Board:
• Approved price increases for paid school lunches and breakfasts for the 2022-23 school year.
The free lunch and breakfast program that ran during the pandemic ended at the end of June. The decision was made to raise prices after looking at things like the raised food prices and labor shortage.
Breakfast prices will increase 25 cents for all grades.
Chief Financial Officer April Fitterling said WCS breakfast is still free for all students yearround at Lakeview Middle School, Claypool Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary, Harrison Elementary and Leesburg Elementary. The price increases for breakfast will be for the rest of the schools.
Lunch prices will increase 15 cents for elementary schools, 10 middle schools and 25 for the high school.
• Learned Tools for School is Aug. 3.
• Approved the 2022-23 handbooks.
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