FWCS building upgrades advance
Board OKs spending on plans, student laptops
By ROSA SALTER RODRIGUEZ | The Journal Gazette
Fort Wayne Community Schools will spend $2.1 million in the next year on design and engineering plans for upgrading several school buildings and more than $895,000 for laptop computers and docking stations.
The school board Monday night also approved the reassignment of David Weber from principal at Glenwood Park Elementary School to principal at Arlington Elementary School.
The board also passed updated policies on bullying and criminal activity on school property and at events and on accepting transfer students.
The board authorized $300,000 to Kelty Tappy Designs for general building systems plans and $800,000 each to Primary Engineering Inc. for mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans and Martin ;Riley Architects for roof replacement plans. Traffic and site planning will by handled by MKSTD & Associates for $200,000. All the entities are from Fort Wayne.
District spokeswoman Krista Stockman said specific work is yet to be determined. But the vote was needed now so there would be sufficient time for planning and bidding the projects, which should be completed by the end of next summer.
In other repairs, MKSTD also received $3,200 for renovation of Nebraska Elementary School, which will house an as-yet undetermined alternative school beginning in the fall of 2017.
The board officially closed the school during Monday’s meeting, although the announcement of the change was made in November.
About 136 students from Nebraska were reassigned or chose other schools, with 96 choosing to attend nearby Washington Elementary School, according to Wendy Robinson, district superintendent.
Many staff members also went to Washington, where they have been assimilating well, she said.
The board also approved $10,500 for an emergency fix to stone masonry above the Door 1 entrance to South Side High School, where a limestone lintel has cracked.
More than 1,260 Hewlett-Packard laptop computers for students and teachers in elementary, middle and high schools will come from that company’s Quality Purchase Agreement with the state, which means the purchase does not require public bidding.
The purchase amounts to about $650 per computer, with the units having 15-inch screens and 4 gigabytes of memory, said Jack Byrd, director of technology.
An additional $22,698 was approved for ProSyss of Norcross, Georgia, for preparation services.
Weber, who has been Glenwood’s principal for 10 years, replaces former Arlington Principal Diane Dikeolakos, who resigned. His role at Glenwood Park will be temporarily filled by Stephany Bourne, a retired FWCS principal.
The updates to the district policies were required to comply with recent state legislation, said Bill Sweet, FWCS attorney.
