By GLEN WERLING
Construction is advancing swiftly on the classroom portion of the Norwell Middle School project.
School board members Gene Donaghy and Corey Krug joined with administrators and construction officials on a tour of the work in progress prior to Tuesday evenings meeting of the school board.
Later, during the meeting, Dylan Markley, project manager for Weigand Construction, provided the board members with an update of what has been accomplished within the past month and what will be accomplished in the coming month including:
• Work has started on the acceleration/deceleration lane on U.S. 224.
• Site grading and lawn seeding around the completed portions of the project has been accomplished.
• Underground wiring and light pole bases have been installed along the access drive.
• Units F and G load bearing concrete masonry block walls have been built.
• Plumbing, mechanical and electrical rough-in has been accomplished within the concrete masonry unit walls.
• Treated wood blocking has been installed on the exterior window openings.
• Lower level structural steel has been erected in units F and G.
• Additional demolition of existing concrete masonry unit walls has been accomplished at the entry restrooms on the first and second floors.
In the existing middle school building, hydronic piping has been installed within the existing second floor mechanical room.
Work planned for the coming month includes continuing the work that was initiated this past month as listed previously and:
• Installation of hollow core plank in units H and J.
• Construction of concrete masonry unit load bearing walls will begin in units H and J and in-wall roughing of mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation will begin.
In the existing building, rerouting of the fire department connection for the new building’s sprinkler system will be done and the hydronic piping within the existing second floor mechanical room will continue.
In other business, board members Krug, Donaghy, Karen Harris and Chad Kline granted treasurer Deb Adams permission to advertise the budget for 2023. The budget will be advertised on the state’s Department of Local Government Finance Gateway website as well as on the school corporation’s website.
The school board members also approved of advertising the capital projects plan and the school bus replacement plan.
A public hearing will be held to gain input on the budget and the plans at the next meeting of the school board and all three — the budget and the two plans — will be adopted at the following board meeting with all three then being sent to the state for final revisions and approval.
As part of the capital projects plan, the board is required to list how the money will be spent. Planned expenditures over the next three years include the purchases and estimated costs of:
District-wide
• Maintenance trucks and plows, $60,000
• An auto remote floor scrubber, $60,000
• A small scissor lift, $20,000
• A game field mower, $10,000
• Custodial carts, $5,000
• A brush mower for the skidsteer loader, $5,000
• Crack sealing, filling and painting at all buildings, $75,000
At Ossian Elementary
• Two cafeteria tables, $2,500
• Repainting rooms, $15,000
• Replacing the exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS) at the entry doors.
• Posting new signs at the exterior classroom, $8,000
• Extend the sidewalks by doors one through 11, $8,000
• Replace the light poles
At Lancaster Elementary
• Pouring concrete at door two, $3,500
• Replace the carpeting in five rooms
• Replace a variety of trash cans, $5,000
• Installation of LED light fixtures, $25,000
• Painting of exterior/interior doors, $10,000
• Replacing the HVAC system contractors, $6,000
• Redoing the parking lot, $125,000
• Replacing one of the pod roofs, $350,000
At the high school
• Purchasing a squeegee vac, $5,000
• Replacing a variety of trash cans, $5,000
• Replacing the flooring down A hall, $10,000
• Replacing computers, tables and chairs in one classroom, $5,000
• Gasoline and diesel fuel pump access controls, $9,000
• Construction of a school bus parking lot, $125,000
Since the middle school is being replaced, there are few projects planned for it, but one of those projects is necessary — an oil change for the elevator to keep it working efficiently at an estimated cost of $9,000.
The school bus replacement plan includes replacement of buses 2, 8, 9, 10, 13, 19, 21, 22, 29, 31, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, and 41. The replacements will take place over five years and are estimated to cost $465,000. In each case, the minimum age of the bus to be replaced is 13 years old. Also, the buses to be replaced include the larger buses as well as mini-buses.
The board members also granted authority to Springer and Adams to make any necessary adjustments to the projections, balances or appropriations used in the creation of the 2023 budget. Changes that are to be made — if there are any — are based upon recommendations from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance through its 1782 Form.
In other business, the board members:
• Accepted a bid of $195,000 from Southern Bleacher Company of Graham, Texas, to install elevated bleachers at the Norwell baseball diamond.
• Learned from buildings and grounds supervisor Adam Heckber that installation of the lighting package at the baseball diamond is underway.
• Adopted an updated job description for the media specialist, who is an employee who works with district and building administrators to oversee the orders and inventories of all resources within each school’s media centers.
• Accepted the resignations of Candas DeHoff as middle school secretary/treasurer and Melissa Chism as the central office accounts payable.
• Hired Sue Elzey as the Unified Track team coach and Melissa Chism as the middle school secretary/treasurer.
• Accepted the following donations: a cart full of school supplies for student and staff use from Walmart given to Lancaster Elementary; $2,800 ($700 per school) from Lancaster United Methodist Church donated for student needs; $500 from Park Community Church for student lunches as part of its “Food Fight” program; $800 from the Wells County Soil and Water Conservation District to Ossian Elementary.
• Approved a one-year contract for a special education services specialist who will be working with a special needs student at Ossian Elementary. The contracted employee will be working outside of the purview of the master contract with the Norwell Classroom Teachers Association.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Donaghy encouraged Northern Wells patrons to check out the flora and fauna on the Norwell Nature Trail.
The next regular meeting of the board is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the school corporation’s administration office in Ossian.
glenw@news-banner.com
