Tina McGrady | tmcgrady@jrpress.com
Plans to renovate the heating and cooling system at Willson Family Literacy Preschool are moving forward.
On Thursday, board of education members for the Crawfordsville Community School Corporation unanimously approved a bid for $715,000 from North Mechanical to replace the HVAC system at the school on East Jefferson Street..
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rex Ryker explained that funding for the project will come from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. This is money allocated through the CARES Act as part of the federal pandemic relief package.
Ryker said the HVAC project is challenging due to the window-wall structures, the obsolete heating system and low ceilings present in the building.
“We spent a year working on how to pull off this project,” he said.
The new HVAC equipment will be located on the roof, which will provide for better interior air ventilation.
In other business, the school board:
• Learned corporation enrollment numbers remain stable. Superintendent Dr. Scott Bowling said the official state count, which takes place in mid-September, was 2,385. That number is up from February, another state benchmark, when enrollment was 2,376.
Bowling said enrollment a year ago last fall was slightly higher at 2,394.
He shared that in the past 10 years, the highest corporation enrollment recorded was 2,489 in 2019 and the lowest was 2,314 in 2013.
“So, we are right in the range of where we have traditionally been,” Bowling said. “I continue to believe that we are stable in terms of enrollment.”
Official state enrollment numbers affect many things, Bowling said, but especially state funding to schools.
“That’s what pays for teacher salaries,” he said.
• Learned from Ryker that revised drawings for the new administration building are forthcoming. Architects recently met with office staff and collected design ideas and suggestions for ways to save parking spaces and potential other locations for placement of the new building. The corporation has already approved the $4 million construction project and anticipates moving the administration offices to the high school campus.
• Were reminded of the upcoming reunification drill at Crawfordsville Middle School on Nov. 1.
• Learned an immunization clinic will be offered Oct. 27 for middle and high school students.
• Learned of the passing of retired teacher Margaret Zimmerman whose contributions to the CHS science curriculum are still relevant today. Bowling praised her legacy and contributions to many generations of Athenians.
• Heard that the corporation’s participation in the annual United Way campaign is up 76% this year and giving is up 47%. Bowling said the corporation set a five-year high for both categories.
• Learned administrators and staff are working on ways to increase dual credit certification for teachers at CHS, and school officials will soon tour a buildings trade program.
• Approved the resignations of Kelly Ressler, special education teacher at Hose; Stevi Cornelius, special education at CMS; and Lindsay Williams, aide at Nicholson.
• Approved the employment of Katie Compton and Kristel Crowder, reading intervention assistants at Hose; Patricia Zavala-Alonso, ENL assistant at CHS; Jerri Sills, nurse at Willson; Mackenzie Lewellen, assistant at Hose; and Esther Benge, aide at Nicholson.
• Voted to adopt the 2023 budget, appropriations and tax rate as well as the transfer from the Rainy Day Fund to the Operations Fund. The board also approved a resolution establishing recurring transfers from the Education Fund to the Operations Fund.
