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SYRACUSE -ÊThey thought more patrons would be at the meeting, so the Wawasee school board held its Tuesday meeting for proposed school projects in the Wawasee High School auditorium.
But only a handful of people showed up and only three patrons spoke during the public comments portion.
Board members said they took that as a signal that after more than 31 meetings, both public and executive sessions, the public understood the board's choices and approved.
Tuesday the board approved building a new North Webster school and doing renovation work at Syracuse Elementary, Wawasee High School and Milford School.
The new North Webster facilities will be located on 68 acres currently owned by Joe Barrett and Richard Kistler. The properties are at the intersection of CRs 750E and 600N. The school board will pay $322,092 for both properties.
All the work will be combined, school superintendent Mark Stock said, because, "The goal was to produce one bond issue and address as many school issues as possible."
The board also approved the preliminary determination to enter into a lease with the building corporation.
Before the project and lease were approved, speakers presented the details of the project to the board members and public.
Gary Watkins, of Barton, Coe, Vilamaa Architects-Engineers Inc., gave a presentation on the work that will be included in the project.
"We have not gone into detailed design at any of these schools ... but we have studied these schools for some time," he said.
The new North Webster Elementary will be designed for 700 students, from kindergarten through grade five. There will be classes for latchkey, Headstart, special needs, English as a second language, remedial reading, gifted and talented and others. The media center will include two computer labs. In total, the new elementary will be 101,283 square feet.
At Milford School, six general purpose classrooms will be added. More storage space will be added and renovations made to the ceilings, lighting and floor. Other renovations will be in the bathrooms, gyms, office areas, entrances and general mechanical and electrical areas.
Syracuse Elementary and Wawasee High School will see similar renovations in the classrooms, cafeteria, kitchen, corridors, restrooms, entrances and general mechanical and electrical updates.
In addition, the high school will have its auditorium and school board room renovated.
As for costs, Watkins said estimated construction costs for the new North Webster Elementary will be $10.635 million; Milford School renovations will cost $3.955 million; Syracuse Elementary renovations will be an estimated $3.445 million; and renovations at WHS will be $1.215 million. Total construction costs will be $19.25 million. With land acquisition and contingencies, the projects will cost $20,812,500.
Phil Gutman, Summer & Co., discussed the sources of funding for the project and the tax impact.
At the current rate, he said there will be no tax impact on the patrons of the Wawasee School Corp. The corporation will be able to do that by decreasing the capital projects fund tax rate from its current $0.9261 to $0.5167 and transferring the difference to its debt service tax rate.
Gutman said the project will be financed through lease rental financing. The lease payments will be made semi-annually over 20 years, not to exceed 25 years.
Total project size, including hard and soft costs, technology and equipment, costs of issuance and capitalized interest, will be $26,179,658 at the current rate. If interest rates increase, the maximum total project cost would be $26,921,402. Total borrowing size will be $25.64 million at the current rate and $26.345 million at the maximum rate.
"We would have to have a severe economic disaster for you to end up at the 6.5 percent interest rate," he said.
North Webster resident Myron Clark commended the board on their thoroughness and hard work but said he was concerned about what the school corporation will do with the North Webster school.
Board president Jeff Wells said Clark's concern was a frequently asked question. Hopefully, he said, by the July or August board meeting, Stock will present ideas on what to do with the building. Wells also said the new facilities will not be available for occupancy until mid-2002.
Emily Thomas said she was concerned if a building built for 700 students will allow for growth.
Stock said according to the information they have, 700 is the right number of students to prepare for.
Tim Yeager's concern was about the ventilation systems at the schools. He said they need to be designed so they won't cause more problems than they solve, as far as noise disturbances in the classrooms.
