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Lake and Prairie townships have until Oct. 17 to let Warsaw Community Schools know if they want the vacant Silver Lake and Atwood elementary school buildings and land.
Silver Lake is in Lake Township, Atwood is in Prairie.
However, due to costs, the townships may want only the land, leaving the potential cost of the demolition of the school buildings to Warsaw Community School Corp.
Monday, the Warsaw School Board voted to send the townships letters asking them to let the school corporation know by Oct. 17 if they want the properties. If the townships don't want both the land and school buildings, the Warsaw School Board will decide what action to take at its Oct. 17 meeting. After Oct. 17, if the townships don't accept both, real estate appraisals may be ordered.
At the Feb. 21 school board meeting, a motion on the status of the three closed elementary schools was tabled for further research. A deadline of Sept. 1 was set.
The facilities status and option committee notified the school board last week the Silver Lake and Atwood school buildings will not be considered for use in any viable plan or option in the future. Claypool Elementary is still being considered.
Monday, Warsaw School Board member Chuck Sauders asked if the school corporation could just transfer the land to the townships for $1. Interim Superintendent Ralph Bailey said it was a possibility, but then Warsaw Schools would have the expense of tearing down the school buildings. In reality, Sauders said, the townships probably can't accept the buildings because of cost.
Molly Bradford, Lake Township trustee, told the school board the township just wants the land. They can't do anything with the building.
"We would rather have the building torn down," she said. She said she doesn't know why the building and three Silver Lake parcels can't be appraised separately.
"To be realistic," said Sauders, "I can't see a big line of people waiting to buy this property." Personally speaking, he said, he'd like to see the land transfer to the township and the demolition of the building be Warsaw Schools' responsibility. The cost of demolition of the schools was something the school board should have thought about two years ago when they decided to close the three schools, he said.
Ron Yeiter, board president, said there is state statute for the school board to follow. First, they must offer both the school buildings and land to the townships. If the townships want both the land and school building, there is no need for an appraiser. If they don't, it will have to be appraised.
Agreeing with Sauders that they should just give the land to the townships, board member Dan Robinson said he wants the corporation's lawyers to see if the parcels can be appraised separately. That information is needed by the Oct. 17 meeting.
If the township takes the land, it must be used for parks and recreation, according to Bradford.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved three change orders for the Warsaw Community High School construction project, totaling a credit of $136,506. The change orders include adding two large windows to the wall separating the weight room from the corridors to the gym (cost of $2,577); scaling down the scope of the work in the administrative area (rededuction of $180,733); and changing the practice soccer field to the junior varsity field (cost of $41,650).
• Adopted the 2006 budget, totaling $54,233,086; the 2006-08 capital projects fund plan; the transportation school bus replacement plan; a resolution to reduce 2005 appropriations; the tax neutrality resolution; and the petition to appeal the transportation fund.
• Heard there are 6,847 students in Warsaw Community Schools as of Sept. 15 for the 2005-06 school year, an increase of 189 students over the 2004-05 school year when Warsaw Schools had 6,658 students.
• Heard a report on the 2005 summer school. There were 1,452 students served, 75 teachers, 31 assistants and 89 classes offered for grades kindergarten through 12th. For 2005 summer school, $210,000 was budgeted; actual cost was $197,903; and $98,951.50 is the estimated reimbursement from the state.
• Approved the 2005-06 state gifted and talented grant application for $22,387. Warsaw Schools has 900 students in the gifted and talented program.
• Approved personnel recommendations, including: retirement of WCHS Guidance Counselor Gary Lehman, effective Dec. 31; resignation of Linda Hoy as DECA advisor - the club is dissolved and the position will not be filled; hiring of Tiffany Portz as WCHS color guard director.
• Recognized: Culligan Water Conditioning of Warsaw Inc. for donating water to the Warsaw Building Trades students at the building site; members of St. Anne's Church for donating $625 to Madison Elementary to assist students in times of "extreme need"; Lakeview Middle School student Todd Eastis for leading the LMS Voyager Team in a fundraiser to collect contributions for Heifer International; and WCHS guidance counselor Scott and Sandy Seney for donating a washer and dryer to the Students Training for Adult Roles and Responsibilities program.
• Announced an executive session for Sept. 28 at 6 p.m.
Members of the school board present were Cathy Folk, Chuck Sauders, Gene England, Ron Yeiter, Dan Robinson and Tammy Dalton. Deb Wiggins was absent.
