SA bids below estimate (5/11/05)

BERNE — Both bids received by the South Adams School Board for the proposed renovations at South Adams High School came in under the architect’s estimate of $890,000.

The low bid, which totaled $792,768, was submitted by Limberlost Construction of Geneva. A second bid totaling $800,000 was submitted by Strahm Construction of Fort Wayne.

Bids were opened Tuesday afternoon by South Adams school superintendent Connie Bailey and board member Tony Mellenkamp.

The bids will be reviewed by Indianapolis architectural firm Lamson and Condon to ensure the bids meet the corporation’s project specifications.

The board is set to meet on Tuesday, May 17, at 6 p.m., to discuss the project bids.

The planned project includes renovations of the gym lobby, Stardome, classrooms, media area, music area and restrooms.

Also Tuesday, board members heard reports from elementary, middle and high school principals on their Public Law 221 plans. State law mandates that schools demonstrate accountability for all students’ learning.

South Adams Elementary School principal Jeff Rich reported the school’s three-year plan includes a goal of 86 percent of the school’s third graders passing the language arts/English portion of the ISTEP test by 2008.

The scores from 2004 ISTEP testing marked between 79 and 80 percent of the school’s third graders passed the language arts/English portion of the test. Teachers will focus on improving students’ reading comprehension and writing skills.

South Adams Middle School principal Scott Litwiller reported that his school’s goal for 2008 is for 85 percent of seventh graders to pass the language arts/English portion of the ISTEP test and make sure students are writing at their grade level.

“We want to improve all of our averages in all areas,” Litwiller said.

South Adams High School principal Brent Lehman said teachers plan to focus on overall improvement in reading comprehension and problem solving skills.

“We noticed that we have done very little with (problem solving),” Lehman said.

These three-year plans will be submitted to the Indiana Department of Education.

In other business, board members:

•Approved the retirement of SAHS social studies teacher Doris Knoch. Knoch has taught for 38 years in the South Adams School Corporation, Bailey reported.

•Approved a request to apply for numerous state and federal grants. Corporation officials plan to apply for federal grants including Title I, IIA, IIB, IVA and state grants for gifted and talented programs, Graduation Qualifying Exam, remediation, summer school and Safe Haven grants.

•Approved requests to hold summer school classes if 15 or more students have signed up for each class.

Remediation classes are planned for third through eight grade students and band, agriculture and English classes are planned for high school students.

Last year, the school corporation was reimbursed for 69 percent of funds used by the corporation to pay for salaries and benefits for summer school teachers. Corporation officials recently received a letter informing them that the corporation is expected to be reimbursed no less than 45 percent of funds requested.

“The state budgeted $18 million, and requests (for summer school funds) totaled $29 million,” Lehman said. He added he doesn’t expect the corporation to receive as much reimbursement as last year.

•Approved students handbooks for the elementary, middle and high schools following reports by each school principal.

Each school is waiting on state education reforms for guideline changes on bullying. All other handbook changes were approved.[[In-content Ad]]