Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
• Oct. 15, 2001 - Then-superintendent Dr. Lee Harman recommends a $41-million building program that includes closing Silver Lake Elementary and enlarging Claypool Elementary, and building a new three-section elementary school in Prairie Township. It also includes the improvements to Warsaw Community High School - performing arts center, football stadium and track and weight and wrestling room.
• March 18, 2002 - School board approves a $30-million building project that includes a new three-section school in Prairie Township to replace Atwood Elementary. The new school is intended also to take some of the burden off Leesburg and Harrison elementaries, which are said to be at or near capacity. Silver Lake and Claypool elementaries are not mentioned.
• Oct. 2, 2002 - Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire says it has not been decided if the new elementary school will be built in Prairie Township, and that most of the new population growth around Warsaw is to the north.
• Nov. 18, 2002 - School board approves the 10-28 resolution for the building project, which now includes additional office space and student dining space in the WCHS cafeteria and does not include a new Prairie Township school.
• April 21, 2003 - Jerome N. McKibben submits his demographic study to the school board, concluding that student populations at most elementary schools will rise gradually until approximately the 2008-09 school year, then gradually decline.
McKibben also recommends closing the four smallest schools - Atwood, Claypool, Jefferson and Silver Lake - and building a new school in Claypool or enlarging the current school, and building a new school in Prairie Township.
• May 19, 2003 - McGuire recommends to the school board that they close the four small schools and build a new school in Winona Lake, on what is now the Grace College practice soccer fields, and one in Prairie Township near the intersection of Ind. 15 and U.S. 30.
• June 9, 2003 - McGuire suggests building a new school in Claypool and one in Winona Lake. The Prairie Township school is put on hold.
