DCSC board, patrons whittle on renovation project
What's being carved is still a mystery
By Kevin Schnepp Staff writer

Delphi Community School Corporation Board of Trustees are working under the watchful eyes of local taxpayers and the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) as they piece together what they hope will be an acceptable facility renovation project. Patrons are calling for efficiency in spending and the DLGF reportedly frowns upon items in school construction projects which are not directly related to academic education.

Pressure to be fiscally responsible and loyal to learning, along with adjustments made by the board during previous meetings, have helped bring renovation estimates down to just under $18.5 million as of Jan. 22.

DCSC Superintendent Ralph Walker said consulting firm Envoy felt they provided "relatively accurate" costs in the conceptual design report provided to the board. He read through the report to open the work session.

The report stated approximately $11.3 million in renovations and additions were needed at the high school and included work in virtually every part of the building. Middle school renovations totaled $625,000 for kitchen, cafeteria and classroom work. Miscellaneous costs would add about $4.3 million more for a total of $16,297,122 for those two schools.

Upgrades to the corporation's elementary and early childhood facilities would add $875,000. Several options were listed in a physical education section and land acquisition was noted as a possibility.

The project's total cost estimate was $18,478,922.

Discussion centers on taxes

Patron Norm Miller stressed a cautious approach in light of potential major changes to school funding currently being discussed in the state general assembly. He suggested the board wait to see what will transpire on the state level before local decisions are made.

"To err on the side of caution is something we should heed," he said. "We shouldn't make any decisions until the general assembly has met and decided."

Some patrons told the board they were glad to see the estimate had decreased but hoped more could be done to bring costs even lower.

Resident Shirley Inman echoed Miller's advice to wait for the legislature to make decisions. She said the county is broke and taxpayers are not looking to maintain the same level of taxes they paid for previous debts.

"We want (the tax rate) lowered," Inman said. "People don't have it. (The board) should be more responsible about what's happening in our particular county at this time."

Resident Tom Brodar asked due to the vacancy of Gerber- Globe Valve if the board had checked to see how healthy local businesses such as Peters Revington were.

"If (Peters-Revington) goes down, the burden goes to us," he said. "What can we support?"

Brodar said the current bond debt paid by the corporation should have come off in 2005 but the board added seven years to it.

"Taxes already should have decreased," he said. "We were told only the interest rate was reduced."

Former school board member Laura Baker said she taught at the old Monroe Street school until it was deemed "not good enough."

"Many parents don't have homes this nice," she said. "I was on the board and got yelled at, but that's what happens if you don't take care of stuff along the way." Board president Robert Resler said later in the meeting the tax rate could be lowered.

"If we can get a little bit less (tax rate), we might try to do that," Resler said.

Resler said the board hoped to have the project ready by the end of February with the first vote possibly coming at the March 10 regular board meeting.

Teachers, residents speak

Resler invited high school teachers Ross Striebeck, Linda Tyner and Laurie Kinzie to share their views of classroom needs. High school student Kyle Bender was invited to speak but declined.

Striebeck said space issues and classroom organization are key areas of concern. He suggested classrooms and teachers' offices in the ag wing should be combined for better supervision. Ideas reflected in Envoy's report showed rearrangements would create room for the special needs class to be housed in the wing.

Tyner said her daughter was already behind at college because the high school had no radio and TV curriculum. She said enrollment was high in foreign language classes and the curriculum needed more space for computers, classes and kitchenettes.

"I'm glad we're moving to the C-pod," Tyner said.

Tyner also spoke as National Honor Society chapter advisor to request a meeting between students and Envoy. She said the society was told the meeting would be arranged.

"We welcome the opportunity to talk with Envoy oneon one," she said. "We sure hope it happens."

Kinzie listed electricity and heating needs for the business education wing. She said during her 21 years at Delphi many technological updates were made in terms of equipment, but the building was not kept up to speed.

"Kids have to know how to run a PDA," she explained.

Brodar said he felt the teachers who spoke were hand-picked by the board, so he invited former high school teacher Norm Miller to speak. Resler disagreed.

Miller said though he felt items such as plumbing and gym lockers were in need of repair, he believed some items were not necessary enough to justify cost estimates associated with them in the report. He cited a recent upgrade to the heating and air conditioning system and wondered why more work was needed there.

Miller also expressed concern that plans called for the high school's plaster walls to be replaced with tile. He said the board should work to protect the school's natural beauty.

In conclusion of his thoughts, Miller stated the addition of an elevator in the media center to make it ADAaccessible was not necessary because a lift was already installed.

Student security addressed

The report called for the high and middle school administrative offices to be combined in a new addition on the north side between the schools. All staff and students would enter through those doors.

Inman said she did not think relocating the administrative offices would deter securityrelated problems. She said issues other schools have faced arose with students already in the schools.

Miller added the school could not be totally secure and suggested a security guard be hired instead.

Baker suggested students taking criminal justice could work with local law enforcement to achieve security.

Brodar asked if the corporation had sought input from local law enforcement agencies. Resler said high school principal Barry Stone talked with city and county police and emergency management personnel about student security but did not comment on his findings.

Patron Shawn Ashby asked if all other entrances would be locked. Resler said they would. Ashby asked if students would have access cards, to which Resler responded they would not.

Board member Mike Shoemaker said to merge the administrative areas would create shared resources. Ashby asked if that would allow the corporation to eliminate staff. Shoemaker said it was possible if a change was made but could not be done now because the offices are separate.

Resler said in summary at session's end the board made many changes to the plan along the way and would continue to do so.

"We looked at a multi-instructional facility, four or five office locations and the staffing configuration," he said. "Currently we have excellent administrators and would hate to see them go, but we would as needed."

The board will continue public discussion of the project during a work session Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school commons.