The Valparaiso School Board is planning public hearings on new construction projects on Feb. 20 and March 20.
The price for those projects hasn’t been determined yet, Superintendent Jim McCall said, but new bonds would be issued as existing bonds are paid off, minimizing the impact on taxpayers.
Two public hearings are planned because the work is being divided into two projects, each with its own bond.
Construction likely would begin either next year and be substantially complete around July 2027.
Much of the work is to be done at the VALE School, the former Hayes Leonard Elementary School building now used by high school students as an alternative school.
There are about 120 students there now, “students who just need a different pace, a smaller environment,” McCall said. Some of the students are there to earn more credits so they can graduate early.
The existing building is being redesigned with high school students in mind, expanding spaces for existing programs and adding space for new ones.
A new building for the maintenance and information technology departments would be built on the same campus.
That would move maintenance from the transportation facility on Evans Avenue, freeing up room to service buses. IT is currently housed in two classrooms at Ben Franklin Middle School. Shipments for IT can occupy a whole hallway, McCall said.
Students would use both buildings on the VALE campus. The entrance closest to U.S. 30 would be removed, Gibraltar Design President Jim Thompson said.
“You are on the cutting edge of what you’re doing,” he told the School Board on Thursday.
Plans there include creating a professional development room with different seating options.
Outside, a “very dated canopy from the 1950s or 1960s” would be removed and the building spiffed up to give the exterior a fresh look without losing its heritage, Thompson said.
At Valparaiso High School, a 9,500-square-foot addition could be built above the gym lobby’s roof. Four new classrooms for career and technical education would be added. They could also be used for athletic, extracurricular or other activities.
At the two middle schools, ceiling and wall panels would be installed to improve cafeteria acoustics, and auditorium wall and floor finishes would be addressed.
Throughout the secondary schools, instruments would be replaced and added for the performing arts. Grounds work on the west side of the Valparaiso High School campus would add a turf field and possibly a softball diamond, Thompson said.
At the elementary schools, playground equipment would be upgraded.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
