A Starke County pipeline services business’s proposal to place its official office inside LaCrosse High School drew opposition from the Tri-Township School Board as well as community members. During Thursday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Kelly Shepherd explained that Pugh Pipeline Services has offered to rent an underutilized office for $2,500 a year.
“Essentially, it’s a requirement for them to maintain a business ‘residence,’” Shepherd explained, “but my understanding is it’s extremely lightly used.”
Shepherd said the company’s main use for the space would be for a computer program for new hires and possibly some file storage. The space in question has most recently been used as the transportation and guidance offices. The superintendent said he hadn’t decided yet whether the business would get a key to the building.
However, board members didn’t think the $2,500 was worth the potential liability, especially with outside people being in the school during the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty of making sure everyone has a proper background check. The school board didn’t kill the proposal entirely, but voted to table it in case more information becomes available.
While the 105-year-old LaCrosse building currently serves as Tri-Township’s high school, plans call for it to close to students in 2022. Shepherd expects more discussion on the high school relocation to take place during January’s school board meeting.
