The Tri-Township School Board is moving closer to a project that would close the 105-year-old LaCrosse school building and move high school classes to Wanatah. The board voted unanimously Thursday to issue notice for a 1028 hearing to be held at its November 19 meeting. It’s a required step designed to give the public a chance to weigh in on the need for the proposed project, before a final decision is made and bonds are issued.
Superintendent Kelly Shepherd said that while he personally loves the historic school, it doesn’t make sense for the school corporation today. “If I had my personal preference, I would snap my fingers and have every school in Indiana be like LaCrosse High School,” Shepherd said. “I’d go the other direction. I think that would be great for kids. But that’s not financially feasible. That’s all I’m doing here. I’m the superintendent in 2020.”
According to information presented by Shepherd last month, making needed renovations to the LaCrosse building would cost almost $6.1 million, while adding onto the Wanatah School could be done for a little more than $2.7 million. But questions have been raised about both of those cost estimates.
For one thing, moving the high school to Wanatah wouldn’t eliminate the need to at least maintain the building in LaCrosse. Shepherd committed once again Thursday to continuing to use the Tiger Den gym, but there isn’t a plan yet for the rest of the building. He said there’s been no consideration to demolish it, but he doesn’t know yet how much it would cost to maintain if it isn’t being used.
Shepherd also said he’s open to the idea of having the architects give a presentation on the LaCrosse renovation plan. “We have entered into some discussions on that, and I will tell you that we would like to schedule another night between now and November’s regular scheduled board meeting, and I believe that could be a part of that next night with some additional dialogue between a group with us and a group of people,” Shepherd said.
Community members filled the Wanatah School cafeteria for Thursday’s meeting. The superintendent expressed some frustration at how the discussion has been taking place, complaining that few community members have taken him up on his offer to meet individually.
A yard sign calling for his removal drew some comments during his superintendent’s report. “My entire family drives 421 for the last 100 years,” Shepherd said. “I have a grandmother, too. I have aunts and uncles. I’ve got a wife that drives from North Judson and crosses that river and comes here to Wanatah because she wants to work with Wanatah kids. And so when my kids stopped and took a picture of the sign that says ‘Remove Shepherd,’ in someone’s yard who I wouldn’t know and they wouldn’t know me. It boils over at times, and sometimes, it probably should.”
Multiple audience members also called for more civil discourse in the future.
