Fanning Howey Project Manager Michael Schipp presents on the planned Tippecanoe Valley High School renovation at the Tippecanoe Valley School Board’s public work session on Thursday, Jan. 13, at TVHS. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

AKRON — The planning process to renovate Tippecanoe Valley High School is moving along.

At its public work session on Thursday, Jan. 13, the Tippecanoe Valley School Board heard an update on the planned project from The Skillman Corp. Senior Vice President Scott Cherry and Fanning Howey Project Manager Michael Schipp.

Plans have included adding an auditorium, a bigger weight room, a fieldhouse, an expanded agriculture area and new seating at the pool.

Cherry provided the latest proposed timeline for the project at Thursday’s meeting. That includes authorizing advertising bids in early March. Construction documents would then go out with plans to open the bids and award the contracts in April before potentially starting construction at the end of April.

With the current proposed timeline, the project would be finished in August 2023.

Schipp provided the board with some alternatives to consider, which would change the cost of the project. Those included reusing the wood from the current gym floor, adding wall cabinets above lockers in different extracurricular areas and choosing alternative pool seating.

In other business, the board:

• Had its reorganizational meeting for 2022. Tom Bauters will once again serve as president with David Lash as vice president and Aaron Zolman as secretary.
• Reorganized as the board of finance with Bauters and Zolman serving in the same positions on that board as on the regular school board.
• Agreed to keep its meeting dates at the same time and day of the month as they were for 2021. The board will have its regular meetings at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month, aside from special exceptions. Meetings will also be at Mentone Elementary School aside from the board’s usual visit of the other buildings during the early part of the year.

The board’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, at Burket Educational Center.