SYRACUSE – Last spring, a community engagement committee was assembled to help look at facilities and to present them to the Wawasee School Board for consideration.
The committee wrapped up in March 2023 and presented the potential options at the April 2023 regular board meeting.
The committee presented four “Tier One” projects: the reconstruction of Milford Elementary School, a performing arts center for the high school, a fieldhouse and a natatorium. The board had discussed the options and agreed Milford Elementary and PAC made the most sense for the school system.
Emily Hower, Elevatus Architecture, lead project manager on the Milford Elementary School project, presented renderings to the board during its meeting Tuesday.
“The parking lot is to the southeast of the building, the playgrounds are to the north and southwest, conveniently located near some exits to get in and out during the school day for play time,” Hower explained. “The existing solar ray on the southwest portion on the lot is remaining. The site plan also accommodates for new pick-up and drop-off line, separate parking for preschool drop-off and bus parking on the northeast side.”
Hower reiterated the new site plan’s accommodation for parents to “queue” while waiting to pick-up or drop-off their student. Currently, the pick-up line can easily back up into the street, causing traffic. The new queuing designs allow for over 100 cars to queue on site. To put that into perspective, there are around 300 students at Milford Elementary, which includes bus riders and walkers.
“We are really appreciative of Elevatus’ willingness to turn almost 180 degrees and keep our initial deadlines,” Superintendent Dr. Steve Troyer explained. “The initial design, although we really loved it, it was going to be way too expensive and significantly over budget. Elevatus went back to the drawing board for us and in the matter of a couple weeks, we are right back up to speed where they were with the initial design.”
Troyer also presented a color-coded floor map of the high school’s performing arts center project. The PAC project is also entering the design phase and more renderings will be presented to the board as they become available.
During the learning report, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Shelly Wilfong explained how IREAD-3, a standardized test traditionally given to third-graders, will be given to the corporation’s second-graders this year.
“We think this is a necessary move because of the data it can give us,” Wilfong explained. “We felt like this would be a proactive move on our part.”
If the student does pass the test in the second grade, they will not need to retest in the third grade. Students who score “on track” or “at risk” will need to retest in third grade.
“By giving students the test in second grade, it gives students an additional opportunity to pass the test,” Wilfong explained. “It also gives them the opportunity to take the test in a low-stakes way. It is a way to expose students to the test to take the scariness out of it.”
Senate Bill 1, a bill about to be passed into law, dictates students who do not pass the IREAD-3 will be retained in the third grade and the corporation will need to provide summer remediation.
“It isn’t through legislature yet, but we are anticipating it will be,” Troyer explained. “It is a priority bill.”
In other news, one of the Wawasee Middle School robotics team competed in a LEGO League. The team won runner-up, beating over 30 teams. The team will now have the chance to compete in a national or world tournament. The robotics team consisted of Jaxon Bainter, Carter Edgar, Zephyr Losee and Lincoln Stoller.
The Wawasee Community School Corporation was on the receiving end of multiple donations, including: $200 to Wawasee Middle School for student needs from the Syracuse Bunco Girls; $1,000 to the Wawasee High School Key Club from the Kiwanis Club of Wawasee; $1,250 to the WHS FFA from the Northern Indiana Johnny Poppers; $1,000 to the WHS Super Mileage from Krull Farms; $50 to the WHS Super Mileage from Rhodes Insurance Agency; $25 to the WHS Super Mileage from Elmer and Mary Stutzman; $250 to the WHS Student Council from Northern Lakes Realty; $350 to the WHS Student Council from Wawasee Bowl and $112 to the WHS Student Council from Clint Cripe and Kraft Auction.
The board congratulated Leslie Palmer, a mid-year retiree. Palmer has served Syracuse Elementary as a cafeteria employee for 22 years.
“I have loved every second of my job,” Palmer told the board. “It has been such a pleasure. It was the best job in the world to me. We see every kid and love every one.”
The next regular Wawasee School board meeting will be held 5:30 p.m. March 12 in the Warrior Room of Wawasee High School, 1 Warrior Path Building 1, Syracuse.