The North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School renovation project took another step forward Tuesday. The school board passed a series of resolutions to begin the financing process for the $10 million project. No concerns were raised during two public hearings.
The project would include the construction of a new gym on the south side of the school, allowing the existing gym to be repurposed into additional dining space for the cafeteria, a large group instruction area, staff space, and other potential uses. The classrooms in the elementary school’s west wing would be reconfigured, and the entire building would get updated plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems.
The project is not expected to raise the school district’s overall property tax rate, since some of the corporation’s existing debt is being paid off. North Judson-San Pierre plans to issue bonds using the lease-rental process, in which ownership of the property is transferred to a legally-separate building corporation and leased back by the school, with the rent payment covering the cost of the bond payment.
Bond Counsel Thomas Peterson explained that since there’s already a building corporation set up for that purpose, the financing for this project will be done as an amendment to the existing lease agreement. He said a separate hearing on the lease will be held closer to the issuance of the bonds. The bond issuance will also have to be approved by the Starke County Council, since the school board is appointed, rather than elected.
If those steps move ahead as planned, design work would take place this summer, according to Bill Payne with architecture firm Fanning Howey. He expects that the project would go out to bid by early next year, and work would get underway in summer of 2021. Construction is estimated to take 12 to 16 months. During that time, school officials could move one or two grade levels at a time to the former middle school, freeing up specific sections of the elementary school for construction.
