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More than 250 people turned out Monday at Edgewood Middle School to let the Warsaw School Board know where they stand on the proposed $41-million restructuring and addition projects.
Two-thirds of those attending were supporters of Silver Lake Elementary, which will be closed if the Oct. 15 proposal is accepted by the school board.
The Oct. 15 report, presented by school superintendent Dr. Lee Harman, recommends closing Silver Lake Elementary and sending those students to Claypool Elementary; building a new "three-section" (three classrooms for each grade) school in Atwood, at a cost of $13.2 million; renovating and enlarging Claypool Elementary, at a cost of $9 million; adding a 1,200-seat auditorium to Warsaw Community High School, at a cost of $7.5 million; building a stadium, track and support areas at WCHS for $5.3 million; adding a larger weight and wrestling room to WCHS, at a cost of $2 million; additional improvements (totaling $3.6 million), including moving the softball fields and football practice fields, building soccer fields and a band practice area, adding a concession/restroom area for the soccer and softball fields and building a connecting drive to Logan Street.
The proposal also includes building a performing arts center at WCHS for $6.4 million, but the funding for that project is not included as a school corporation-financed project. It would be financed through private donations.
Monday's work session gave patrons and school board members a chance to voice opinions and ask questions about the proposal, but one of the most emotional topics was the recommended closing of Silver Lake Elementary.
Denise McCoy, who spoke for Silver Lake's "Save Our School" committee, said closing the school would have a "devastating" effect on the town. She also said no specific reasons have been given on why the school should be closed; busing Silver Lake students to Claypool will be unsafe; and asking The Odle, McGuire and Shook Corp., the architectural firm that designed Eisenhower and Harrison elementaries, to do a facility study was self-defeating.
She also said Odle, McGuire and Shook reported Silver Lake Elementary needs $8 million in renovations.
"If that's true, then this board should be ashamed of itself for allowing students to be educated in such a dilapidated building," she said.
Former Silver Lake principal Gene England also spoke, telling board members they were not listening to their constituents.
"You're listening to a group of experts who don't live in our community," he said. "If you're the voice of the people, please listen. The people are speaking. Let's listen to them."
In response to questions from patrons and school board members, Harman said students at the enlarged Claypool school would come from Silver Lake, Jefferson and Eisenhower elementaries. The new school proposed to be built in Prairie Township would include students from Atwood, Harrison and Leesburg elementaries.
Harman also said the ideal enrollment for an elementary school is 300-450 students.
When asked about the advantages to closing Silver Lake, besides the projected savings of $110,000 to $150,000 per year, Harman said there are not as many choices in a single-section school as there are in a multi-section school. He also said the school has greater needs in technology.
"There is a feeling that Warsaw can be positioned to be a leader in the technology area if the schools can handle it," he said. "There are some advantages to a larger school."
He also said a newer facility would lend itself to greater technological potential in the future and there would be more educational opportunities for students at a larger Claypool school.
"I do think that they'll have advantages that they do not have now," he said.
Several board members weighed in with their own opinions.
Charles Sauders recommended building a new school in Atwood, north of U.S. 30, and a new two-section school in Silver Lake.
Brad Brail questioned if the board's priorities are correct in investing capital in the high school instead of elementaries. The average age of elementary schools is 46 years, he said, and the board has not looked at educational equity at Leesburg, Madison, Jefferson and Lincoln schools. He also questioned the timing of the proposed project.
The board will continue to discuss the proposal at a Dec. 10 work session at Edgewood.
