The Knox Community School Corporation may be asking residents for a tax increase to fund facility upgrades in the coming years. During a school board work session last week, Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart explained that if school officials decide a referendum is needed, he wants to be ready to do it in May or November of 2019.
To help with that decision, the school corporation is looking to hire an architectural firm to do a facilities study. During last week’s work session, board members heard proposals from Schmidt Associates and Fanning Howey. Both firms said they would assess the facilities’ current conditions, and make sure they’re appropriate for the number of students. They would then create a list of recommended improvements, ranked by urgency, as well as estimated costs.
Representatives with Schmidt Associates said they generally begin the process by meeting with all staff members and asking them what is and isn’t working in their schools, classrooms, and work spaces. They explained that they are not a referendum consultant, but they do make sure schools have enough information to support any potential requests for additional tax dollars.
Meanwhile, Fanning Howey representatives compared the process to a roadmap. Rather than meeting with all staff members, they said they would meet with a team of school leaders, to help determine the corporation’s vision for the future.
Both firms are currently involved with improvement projects at other local school corporations, Schmidt Associates at LaPorte Community Schools, Fanning Howey at North Judson-San Pierre. But even before the facilities study takes place, Reichhart is already planning for repairs to the Knox High School roof.
