Rich Haddad, left, shakes hands with Dr. Brandon Penrod, right, after Dr. Troyer announced the K21 Health Foundation has donated $10,000 to jump start a Health Services Discretionary Fund.

Text and Photos
By Marissa Sweatland
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — During its regular monthly board meeting, held Tuesday, May 14, the Wawasee School Board heard from Dr. Brandon Penrod, CFO for the corporation. The school corporation held a phase one bid opening on Monday, May 6.

The bids were placed by pre-qualified contractors for the work and supply of materials for the Wawasee High School performing arts center and CTE renovations. The bids received were for phase one, second phase will be coming out to bid in August or September.

“The general description of Bid Phase #1 is ‘Make Ready Work’ with classroom renovations, utility relocation and building demolition,” Dr. Penrod explained.

The scope of work varies from bid package to bid package. Bids were placed for masonry; general trades; metal stud, gyp board, ceiling installation; resilient flooring; painting; fire protection; mechanical; electrical; earthwork and site utilities.

Dr. Brandon Penrod explains to the school board the process of the phase one bid opening. Pictured from left is Dr. Steve Troyer, Dr. Shelly Wilfong and Dr. Brandon Penrod.

“At the bid opening, if you have never been to one, someone cuts open the sealed envelopes, hands it to us and we read it,” Dr. Penrod explained to the board. “At the end of that time, we get an apparent low and so we go back and check compliance, make sure they submitted their bid bonds and performance bonds, which is done off-site. They bring it back to us and we get a winning bid recommendation.”

This project is one half of a larger $75 million project. The corporation split the amount in half, $35 million to the performing arts center and CTE renovations and $35 million to the construction of a new Milford Elementary School, with $5 million to buffer any ancillary costs. The costs of phase one will be pulled from the $35 million budget.

“Each scope of work is a separate bid package. Each bid package then gets awarded to somebody different, with the exception of masonry and general trades,” Dr. Penrod explained. “We take that total and then we add to it any general conditions, any fees. We also have allowances, construction contingency, supplemental stones, shipping premiums, overtime and insurances.”

Weigand Construction won the bid for masonry and general trades for a final bid amount of $149,600 and $203,600 respectively. Jack Laurie Group won a combination bid for metal stud, gyp board, ceilings and insulation; resilient flooring and painting with a final bid of $78,695. FE Moran won the bid for fire protection with a final bid of $10,450. Core Mechanical won the bid for mechanical with a final bid of $83,547. Gaylor Electric won the bid for electrical with a final bid of $154,000. G&G Hauling won the bid for earthwork and site utilities with a final bid of $804,822.

Once construction contingency, general conditions, allowances, overtime and shift premiums, insurances and other various fees are accounted for, the construction total for phase one is $1,843,117, which the board approved. According to the bid package recap, interior renovation and exterior work is scheduled to begin Monday, June 3.

In addition to hearing the good news of the performing arts center project coming along, the board also heard good news from K21 Health Services. The K21 Health Foundation is funding a new initiative for Wawasee Community School Corporation, the Health Services Discretionary Fund. The organization donated $10,000 to jump start the fund.

“The idea is to resource the nurses and health services areas of the school and to have money at the ready. We trust the nurses and team to make those decisions,” Rich Haddad, president and CEO of the K21 Health Foundation, explained to the board. “We’re more than happy to resource in the finance department so kids can get the help they need. It’s our pleasure to support the front line of health at Wawasee Schools.”

The school corporation received a handful of other donations, including: $100 from Northern Lakes Realty for WHS Academic Hall of Fame; $250 from Kiwanis Club of Lakeland for WHS Academic Hall of Fame; $500 from Kiwanis Club of Lakeland for WHS Key Club; $500 from DSI for WHS band; $250 from Ace Pest Control for WHS band; $250 from PolyWood for WHS band; $75 from Syracuse Bud’s Body Shop for WHS drama; $200 from Pete and Kristin Bonner for WHS drama and $1,000 from The Blackbaud Giving Fund for North Webster Elementary.

Karen Brock officially became the new principal of Syracuse Elementary School. She received a warm welcome at the Wawasee School Board’s regular meeting, Tuesday, May 14. Pictured from left is Karen Brock; Don Bokhart, board president; and Dr. Steve Troyer, superintendent.

The board approved the employment of Karen Brock. Brock will serve as the principal of Syracuse Elementary School, replacing beloved principal Eric Speicher. Speicher served as principal for 12 years before he took a job opportunity for a position within the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation. Her position is effective July 1.

“I have already felt so welcomed by the community, by the school corporation and by the interviewing committee,” Brock said. “Meeting the students today was incredible, so special and exactly why we do what we do.”

POLYWOOD hosted an open house tonight, Tuesday, May 14 for students and parents of POLYWOOD Academy to mingle, meet instructors and learn more about the program. Pictured in the front row from left is Austin Harney, Micah Wilson, Andrew Waugh, Kassidy Carter, Audrey Miller and Nicholas Moreland. In back row from left is Jeremy McKinzie, Landon Deel, Jon Everingham, Daniel Fattorusso and Ryan Zimmerman.

Additionally, Jon Everingham, CTE director, and Ryan Zimmerman, POLYWOOD human resources, two of the brains behind POLYWOOD Academy Powered by Pathways, announced the instructor of the course is 16-year POLYWOOD employee, Jeremy McKinzie. An open house was hosted at POLYWOOD, directly after the school board meeting, for students and parents to mingle, meet McKinzie and learn more about the program.

“The POLYWOOD Academy is a collaboration with Pathways CTE Cooperative, POLYWOOD, Orthoworx and Purdue University’s IN-MaC program,” Everingham explained. “This innovative program merges POLYWOOD industry expertise with Pathways’ forward-thinking educational approach, offering students a relevant manufacturing curriculum and hands-on experiences in industrial maintenance, robotics and engineering.”

Students enrolled in POLYWOOD Academy will participate in a two-year program. In year one, students will focus on curriculum designed to build practical skills and the application of theoretical understanding.

“I’m definitely excited to get started,” McKinzie said. “They seem like a great group of kids.”

The next regular school board meeting will be 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11 at the Wawasee Professional Learning Center, 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse.