By HOLLY GASKILL
During a school board meeting Tuesday, Dylan Markley of Weigand Construction said there’s been a “big push” in progress on Norwell construction projects.
Weigand is currently circling three projects for the district — the new Norwell Middle School building, buildings for the high school football and baseball fields, and the Ossian Elementary School “refresh.”
Markley attributed some of this progress to the decent winter weather. He advised they hoped to have the baseball building ready by April 2. As crews have completed finishing items on the baseball building, they’ve pivoted toward the same items for the football building.
Final construction items are also following at the new middle school building. The school board plans to tour the site before a board meeting in Aprill. A ribbon cutting of the facility is planned for June.
Demolition at OES has also begun, with crews planning to get into the weeds of the project over spring break, March 22-29. The renovation is set to include classroom reconfigurations and new lockers, classroom cabinetry, student furniture, carpeting and painting.
OES Principal Theresa Casto said fifth grade classes will begin instruction in alternative teaching spaces as work begins in their classrooms on Wednesday. She said these spaces were picked by the teachers, which included two classes that will be co-taught in a multipurpose room. “Those fifth grade teachers are champs,” Casto said.
“There’s been good communication, even through to the different campuses, principals, this team as well, in coordinating,” Markley said. “The door’s always open if there are issues, which we don’t anticipate, but I know there’s end-of-the-year testing, so we’ve tried to accommodate with some of our phasing. We’ll try to keep the noise mitigated as much as possible.”
Superintendent Mike Springer reminded the board that because the renovation work is starting now, it will conclude before the 2024-25 school year. “(OES) has kind of embraced the idea that a little bit of sacrifice right now, and then we hit the door running in the summer, and we’re ready to go at the beginning of the school year, and that’s really important.”
Afterward, Springer reviewed the district’s assessed value growth and property taxes, as bills roll out. He recognized that the district has had the fifth-highest assessed value growth among 24 neighboring districts, but stated the board has been committed to keeping the same rate. The district falls into the sixth-lowest tax rate among the same neighboring districts.
“So, if somebody wants to complain about our tax rate, it’s not our tax rate, they need to call the assessor and talk to the assessor about raising their assessed value,” stated board member Corey Krug.
Springer added, “So, from last year to this year if you’re looking at, ‘Why did my tax bill go up?’ Your tax, like in terms of the school system, our tax rates stay the same. And so that didn’t raise the taxes, but obviously, if your assessed value is more, increased of value is going to be more of a tax burden.”
Citing a recent Wells County Economic Development study, board member Chad Kline said, “While we might think our house values are going up significantly, they really aren’t. They’re actually still on the lower end of the state. We’re just not used to it going up as fast as it is.”
The district did anticipate a lower debt service rate in 2024, however, the board issued a $6.1 million bond to pursue a series of construction projects, including the OES renovation project and baseball and football buildings.
The board also heard an update from Raina Sisson, food and nutrition director, about food service. The program ran a promotion for National School Breakfast Week last week, including “Free Breakfast Friday” for the elementary schools. The schools served 674 students breakfast on Friday — in February, they served 283 per day on average.
Sisson hopes to conduct a “refresh” of her own in the OES cafeteria with some new decor. Lancaster Elementary School has already received some of these new items, and NMS has gotten new cafeteria tables and chairs.
Sisson also highlighted several efforts to include more fresh food variety and homemade food options for the students, including the introduction of smoothies and the return of the Norwell-famed turkey shortcake. The latter was met with excitement by some of the board members.
“You brought back the original turkey shortcake?” asked board member Traci Neuenschwander.
Sisson admitted the recipe was modified, but added with a smile, “I will tell you — those ladies over at the high school, middle school campus, they worked tirelessly. That is a difficult, difficult recipe. The kitchen was an absolute mess, but it was worth it. It’s not something we can do every week — let’s just put it that way.”
Later, the board renewed the Norwell’s membership in the Food2School Cooperative, which Sisson has been a large asset to the district.
holly@news-banner.com
