Garmann Miller presented the Wawasee School board multiple design concepts during its regular April board meeting. School board members shown from left are Don Bokhart and Steve Baut.

Text and Photos
By Marissa Sweatland
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — During its monthly regular school board meeting, held Tuesday, April 16, the Wawasee School board saw a project update from Garmann Miller’s Brian Wolf and Hannah Holtzapple.

The performing arts center project is coming along as the project’s team is narrowing scope to create plans that will fit within the corporation’s budget. Wolf and Holtzapple brought in conceptual renderings of the exterior and interior lobby. The exterior design rendering showed brick siding, multiple windows to allow lots of sunlight and a designated entrance that will lead guests straight to the theater.

Garmann Miller presented the Wawasee School board multiple design concepts during its regular April board meeting. School board members shown from left are Don Bokhart, Steve Baut and Neil Likens.

“Once we get a little farther into the project, we will format the renderings to add the landscaping, parking lots and people to make the concept come alive,” Wolf explained referring to the stark white spaces in the renderings. “We are looking to do something really cool with these lobby walls.”

Holtzapple showed the board a range of proposed exterior materials which included a range of bricks varying in color and different tiles.

After presenting some design concepts, Garmann Miller showed the board some proposed exterior materials that are being considered. Materials include numerous different colors of brick and some tile options. Board members pictured from left is Don Bokhart and Steve Baut.

The performing arts center is one of two projects the school corporation is involved in. The other project is building a new Milford Elementary School. These projects rose to the top out of four presented options. The project options were determined by a community engagement committee about a year ago.

The Wawasee School board has switched locations for its regular school board meetings. The corporation received occupancy on the building, Wawasee Professional Learning Center, on Thursday, April 11. The regular monthly Wawasee School board meetings will be held at this location, as opposed to the Warrior Room at Wawasee High School. Although the location has changed, the date and time still remain. The Wawasee Professional Learning Center is the building south of the Central Office, 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse.

“I just want to thank everyone involved for our new facility,” Dr. Steve Troyer, superintendent, said. “I want to thank the board for its support for this very well put together facility. Being in here for the first time is something we have been looking forward to for months. I know Dr. Wilfong has been on my case for months about this facility!”

During the meeting’s Good News, the board congratulated 15 Wawasee Warriors who graduated Wawasee Virtual Academy. Among those graduates are Caden Edgar, Anna Graff, Mikilah Wiggs, Cora Orth, Allison Gibson, Ashton Stidams, Mary Conway, Haven Rolston, Trinity Wise, Kamren Voss, Jessica Griffith, Abbigail Burelison, Keisha Sowards, Trey Rollins and Kierstyn Miller.

Numerous donations were made to the corporation from community members and businesses, including $100 from Teghtmeyer Ace Hardware of Syracuse for Wawasee Student Council Pow Wow; $50 from Diane and Wendell Miller for Wawasee Student Council Pow Wow; $50 from Todd and Kristen Harris; and $3,700 from the Knights of Columbus Council #6323 for Wawasee baseball.

The Wawasee High School’s Academic Hall of Fame received multiple donations, including $200 from Culver Family Foundation; $75 from Syracuse Bud’s Body Shop; $75 from Syracuse Hardware; $100 from Crossroads Bank; $100 from Ace Pest Control; $100 from Bass Audiology; $500 from The Papers; $100 from Ace Hardware of North Webster; and $500 from Knights of Columbus Council #6323.

The Wawasee FFA also received various donations, including: $200 from Sherman Bryant; $50 from Syracuse-Wawasee Garden Club; $50 from Deatsman Grain Farms; $500 from CTB Inc.; $500 from Kosciusko County Community Foundation; $150 from Lakeview Farms; $150 from Arlen and Shirley Bobeck; $150 from Schlipf Precision Ag; $250 from M. Russell and Mary Anderson; $250 from Farm Credit; $75 from Randy and Eldonna Warren; $225 from Marc and Jodi Beer; $100 from Danielle and Nathan Lambert; and $700 from Elite Agronomy.

The next regular Wawasee School board meeting will be held 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 in the Wawasee Professional Learning Center, 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse.