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NACS considers costs of expanded buildings, operating referendum

A mockup of what an expansion to Arcola Elementary School could look like, adding six new classrooms to the east side of the building.
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Northwest Allen County Schools
A mockup of what an expansion to Arcola Elementary School could look like, adding six new classrooms to the east side of the building.

The Northwest Allen County Schools board heard options Monday night for expanding current buildings to accommodate projected growth over the next several years.

The presentation given by Brandon Bitting, assistant superintendent of operations and safety, looked at the expansion of each of the elementary schools by adding between two and six classrooms to each building.

The suggested expansions would also add or repurpose existing rooms to create a STEM – or science, technology, engineering and math – space in every elementary school and other multipurpose spaces.

The district has been considering building a $77.5 million ninth elementary school. However, expanding the existing schools is only projected to cost the district $52.2 million.

A presentation also broke down the expected taxpayer impact of NACS’ proposed operations referendum, along with the debut of a tool for residents to see their own expected impact based on their current home value.

On June 23, Superintendent Wayne Barker will ask the board to approve a special election in November for the operating referendum.

The board also heard updates on the district’s current construction projects; including construction on a Career and Technical Education building, a transportation facility, and updates to Perry Hill Elementary, Carroll High School and Willow Creek Middle School.

Ella Abbott is a multimedia reporter for 89.1 WBOI. She is a strong believer in the ways audio storytelling can engage an audience and create a sensory experience.