It remains unclear whether Plymouth Schools will have to add a day of instruction on to the school year. The Plymouth School Board was scheduled to consider how to handle a make-up day, but it was pulled from the agenda at the beginning of their meeting on March 6. Area flooding made it necessary to close schools for several days in a row. Although students could submit assignments through technology for some of the miss days, procedures already in place limit the use of E-learning days to three consecutive days. After the meeting, Superintendent Andy Hartley said they are in discussion with the IDOE to determine if they will need the additional day or whether they will obtain a waiver. Students in Indiana Schools are required to have 180 days of instruction each school year.
The IDOE did extend a testing window for the administration of ISTEP+ testing.
The school board voted unanimously to approve The Skillman Corporation to proceed with seeking bids for construction work for a new Lincoln Junior High School. Dion Katsouros of Skillman and Brian Bohlender of Barton-Coe-Vilamaa said the design phase of the building is completed.
Superintendent Andy Hartley said, “We are now narrowing in on greater levels of details.”
Katsouros said they are advertising for bids on March 12 and March 19 and holding a contractors informational meeting on March 20. Bids received will be opened on April 10 and reviewed to assure all the needed paperwork and bid bonds are included. According to Katsouros, bids will be held for 120 days. He indicated that some of the alternatives they will be looking at implementing deepening on the budget constraints include but are not limited to, a wrestling room, flooring options, and plumbing components,
He said the first project will be the extensive waterline relocation.
The new facility will be built just east of the current school building where the football field is located, a portion of the older part of the building is being kept intact and will be used for office space and perhaps other uses.
The target completion date is May, 2020.
Carol Anders Correspondent
