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Plans for moving Warsaw Community High School's softball fields have been delayed while officials consider less expensive alternatives, the Warsaw school board decided at its meeting Monday.
The board had previously approved moving the softball fields to make room for a planned track at the high school. The track would eventually be part of a football stadium.
Greg Schroeder, director of buildings and grounds for Warsaw Community Schools, was given permission to advertise for bids in the January board meeting, expecting the cost for the preliminary work to be approximately $100,000 to $125,000.
Preliminary work included in the bids was for earth-moving, asphalt and lighting.
"The bids came in significantly higher" than originally estimated, said Schroeder. The lowest bid received was for $298,900 and the highest was $320,820.
He recommended the school board reject all bids.
Schroeder said the alternative is to look at other locations for the track so the softball fields won't have to be moved.
"We don't want to end up with new softball fields that are of lesser quality than the ones we have," said school superintendent Dr. Lee Harman. "Also, remember that the track is the main priority because we don't have one, and we have softball fields now."
The board unanimously rejected the softball field bids.
The board also approved a three-year contract with Warsaw Community Education Association, allowing for a 2.2 percent increase for 1999-2000, 2.8 percent for 2000-2001 and a minimum of 2.6 percent for 2001-2002.
The same salary increases were approved for WCS administrative and special services, and NCI administrative and special services.
In other business:
• Harman presented the preliminary draft of the 2000-2001 school year calendar. The year is tentatively scheduled to begin for students Aug. 22 and end June 5. Christmas break would begin Dec. 21 and end Jan. 2. The board will vote on the calendar at the April meeting.
• Students from Atwood Elementary demonstrated their school's use of a grant from Indiana Department of Education for using technology to learn reading, writing and math. The students, in kindergarten and first grade, use interactive software in their computer lab.
• The board approved a property transfer between WCS and Grace College. The transfer, which involves a trade of property adjacent to Jefferson Elementary, is intended to keep traffic from Grace College's Indiana Hall and attached parking lot away from the school.
• The board approved a bid by Herrman and Goetz, South Bend, for the air conditioning work at Edgewood Middle School and Claypool Elementary. The bid is for $459,116.
• Students from Jefferson and Lincoln elementaries demonstrated their projects from the media fair. Projects included a video and game to help kindergartners learn shapes, colors, letters and numbers; and a video illustrating the song, "Don't Laugh At Me."
School board members are Craig Allebach, Cathy Folk, Dan Robinson, Roy Szymanski, Brad Brail, Larry Chamberlain and Charles Sauders. The board meets at the administration building at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month.
