SYRACUSE – The Wawasee School Board of Trustees had a financially-heavy agenda at its regular October board meeting, held Tuesday.
The school board heard from Dr. Brandon Penrod, chief financial officer for the corporation, who went to the board looking for approval for numerous financial items, including the budget, bus replacements and a GMP amendment for the performing arts center at Wawasee High School.
Penrod first tackled the budget. The budget included the following amounts for each fund: $750,000, rainy day; $16,133,675, debt service; $21,732,994, education and $11,079,220, operations for a total adopted budget of $49,695,889. The adopted tax levy for each fund is as follows: zero dollars, rainy day; $16,185,472, debt service; zero dollars, education and $8,300,000, operations for a total adopted tax levy of $24,485,472. The adopted tax rate is 0.5210, debt service and 0.2671, operations for a total adopted tax rate of 0.7881.
“The adopted tax levy is in the debt service and operation funds only. They, and the debt service one in particular is inflated,” Penrod said. “We are in the process of selling a bond and we are looking at the most advantageous way to structure that re-payment. So, we put the max in there for anticipated debt but that will come down quite a bit down to the targeted rate of 0.5399.”
Penrod then continued on to asking for approval for the 2025-29 bus replacement he presented at last month’s regular board meeting. The schedule covers the replacement of 20 corporate school buses over the course of the five years. The four buses approved to be replaced in 2025 will cost around $615,825. The buses scheduled to be replaced range from 2014 to 2018.
In 2026, the estimated replacement cost is $766,520 for five buses; in 2027, $702,072 for four buses; in 2028, $563,412 for three buses and $803,800 for four buses. The estimated replacement costs range from $143,275 to $200,950 per bus.
As he promised at last month’s regular board meeting, Penrod asked for approval to amend the guaranteed maximum price for the performing arts center and CTE project at Wawasee High School. At the September meeting, the board approved a GMP amendment for the Milford Elementary School project.
Both of the projects currently underway within the corporation, the performing arts center at Wawasee High School and the construction of a new Milford Elementary School, were approved as construction manager as constructor contracts.
“A CMc is a delivery method that schools are allowed to use,” Dr. Penrod reminded the board. “And when you do that, you get a GMP. But as long as we do not change scope, the GMP stands after bid.”
The GMP would allow $31,720,475 to be added to the approved contracted cost.
“This will be the last GMP amendment, the rest will be done through change orders and contingency allowances,” Penrod explained.
In other financial approvals, the board approved the authority to reduce appropriations and/or operating balance to Penrod. By doing this, the board is allowing “the authority to reduce 2025 adopted appropriations, reduce and/or transfer the 2024 appropriations and reduce the operating balance for budgeted funds to maintain the target tax rate to the superintendent and/or director of finance of Wawasee Community School Corporation.”
In other news, Superintendent Dr. Steve Troyer announced a series of Community Coffee Chats that are designed to give parents and community members an opportunity to meet him, learn more about the school corporation and ask any questions they may have. Community Coffee Chats start at 9 a.m. on the following Saturdays: Nov. 9, Harvest Coffee; Nov. 23, Lakeside Coffee; Dec. 7, The River Coffee House; Jan. 18, Harvest Coffee; Feb. 22, Lakeside Coffee; March 15, The River Coffee House and April 26, Harvest Coffee.
The board celebrated the recent retirement of long-term and beloved Milford School administrative assistant Beth Banghart. Banghart retired after 25 years. She retired on Oct. 1.
“I am proud of the fact I get to talk about Beth Banghart,” Troyer said. “I know you made a lasting difference in our community and on me, personally.”
Two Wawasee Warriors were highlighted in an exemplary behavior report through the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Athlete Morgan Reel was rewarded a behavior report to applaud her integrity she showed at the NLC Girls Golf Championships when “after turning in her scorecard with her playing partners and leaving the scoring area, she noticed that her score was reported wrong. She returned to the scoring area and reported that she had actually signed for a lower score than what she actually had.”
Coach Jordan Sharp was also noted in an IHSAA exemplary behavior report for his positive demeanor and great sportsmanship that lasted throughout the lost game.
The next regular Wawasee school board meeting will be 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Professional Learning Center, 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse.