July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
SA begins bonding preparations (07/11/07)
South Adams School Board
By By JACK RONALD-
BERNE - South Adams Schools officials started working their way through the legal process to secure financing for a $25 million construction project Tuesday.
The project, which won overwhelming approval in a recent petition battle, will provide a new pre-kindergarten through grade 8 building and major renovations to the existing high school building. The new pre-K through 8 building will be connected to the high school in Berne.
Board members gave unanimous approval to a resolution approving the South Adams School Building Corporation, a resolution approving the form of a lease with the building corporation, and a preliminary resolution on general obligation bonds.
The bonds will actually be issued by the building corporation and will be paid off under a 23-year lease with the school corporation.
The board also unanimously approved using the design/build approach on the high school renovations as well as the new building. Earlier, the board had considered using the traditional "spec and bid" approach on the renovations, but found there will be considerable savings in terms of architectural fees by using design/build instead.
"It's a new way of thinking," superintendent Cathy Egolf said of design/build. "We're trying to be cost effective."
Board members also went through the formality of a public hearing on the feasibility of using year-round school rather than building new facilities. Recent changes in state law require school corporations to weigh the option of year-round school before going ahead with new construction.
"We would need this construction even if year-round school were implemented," said Egolf.
"We're still required to hold a public hearing on it," added board president Tony Mellencamp.
A second public hearing on the same topic will be a part of the board's Aug. 14 meeting.
In other business, the board:
•Re-elected Mellencamp as president, Steve Dobler as vice president, and Julie Mansfield as secretary for the coming year and agreed to continue to meet at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.
•Formally accepted the resignation of Brent Lehman as principal of South Adams Junior-Senior High School. Lehman has been hired as assistant principal at Norwell High School. Nicholas Eccles was hired by South Adams as his successor in June.
•Hired Laura Bergman as an elementary teacher and Margie Liechty as a kindergarten teacher.
•Approved Tom Sprunger as boy's head soccer coach.
•Noted that the construction project must still be approved by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance and that letters from the community in support of the project would be beneficial. Such letters should be sent to South Adams Schools to be included in the presentation of the project to the state.[[In-content Ad]]
The project, which won overwhelming approval in a recent petition battle, will provide a new pre-kindergarten through grade 8 building and major renovations to the existing high school building. The new pre-K through 8 building will be connected to the high school in Berne.
Board members gave unanimous approval to a resolution approving the South Adams School Building Corporation, a resolution approving the form of a lease with the building corporation, and a preliminary resolution on general obligation bonds.
The bonds will actually be issued by the building corporation and will be paid off under a 23-year lease with the school corporation.
The board also unanimously approved using the design/build approach on the high school renovations as well as the new building. Earlier, the board had considered using the traditional "spec and bid" approach on the renovations, but found there will be considerable savings in terms of architectural fees by using design/build instead.
"It's a new way of thinking," superintendent Cathy Egolf said of design/build. "We're trying to be cost effective."
Board members also went through the formality of a public hearing on the feasibility of using year-round school rather than building new facilities. Recent changes in state law require school corporations to weigh the option of year-round school before going ahead with new construction.
"We would need this construction even if year-round school were implemented," said Egolf.
"We're still required to hold a public hearing on it," added board president Tony Mellencamp.
A second public hearing on the same topic will be a part of the board's Aug. 14 meeting.
In other business, the board:
•Re-elected Mellencamp as president, Steve Dobler as vice president, and Julie Mansfield as secretary for the coming year and agreed to continue to meet at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.
•Formally accepted the resignation of Brent Lehman as principal of South Adams Junior-Senior High School. Lehman has been hired as assistant principal at Norwell High School. Nicholas Eccles was hired by South Adams as his successor in June.
•Hired Laura Bergman as an elementary teacher and Margie Liechty as a kindergarten teacher.
•Approved Tom Sprunger as boy's head soccer coach.
•Noted that the construction project must still be approved by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance and that letters from the community in support of the project would be beneficial. Such letters should be sent to South Adams Schools to be included in the presentation of the project to the state.[[In-content Ad]]
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