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New lighting at most HCCSC schools to make lots brighter

Parking lots at Huntington County Community School Corporation middle and elementary schools are going to get a lot brighter at nighttime, after the HCCSC School Board accepted a bid to upgrade the site lighting at its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 22.

Board members approved the low bid of $153,990 from INM Electric of Huntington, the cost including rebate discounts that INM will file paperwork for, said Dana Wannemacher, architect and president of Barton-Coe-Vilamaa.

The quote excludes Huntington North High School, Roanoke Elementary School and the Huntington County Learning Center.

Scott Bumgardner, assistant superintendent for business and classified staff, explained that the corporation does not want to upgrade lighting at the high school that may be undone with future renovations. Site lighting will be addressed when the larger campus issues are addressed, he said.

Superintendent Randy Harris said Roanoke Elementary School was also left out due to the new construction project already in the works. He added that the Learning Center’s lighting was upgraded when the building expansion was done two years ago.

On another positive note, Bumgardner reported that the corporation’s cash balances are improving and expected to improve more in the general fund throughout the rest of the year.

Bumgardner anticipates a balance in the general fund at around $3.4 million by the end of the year. Appropriations at the end of September are currently around 34 percent, he said, adding that it has been nearly 75 percent throughout the year.

“A lot of the work has been done through bonds and other things to help protect that cash balance, which will be even more important in January, when that all goes into operations (fund),” he said. “Come January, we’ll have a lot greater flexibility than we do now. That’s why those cash balances are so important. I feel real good about where we’re at.”

Among other updates presented to the board, Bumgardner said he expects to receive appraisals of both Lancaster and Northwest elementary school buildings in the next week and he will then report to the board as to how to proceed on disposing of the two buildings.

Harris said groundbreaking on the new Roanoke Elementary School building will be Monday, Oct. 29, at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, he said. The ceremony will take place on the west side of the school’s parking lot.
Harris also noted that renovations at the high school are nearing completion. Carpeting in the auditorium is expected to be completed this week and the new auditorium seating has been installed.
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“I think the one that’s going to grab everyone’s attention more than anything else is the Huntington North gymnasium, the north gym,” he said. “The new LED lighting really brightens up the floor, and then you throw on the new bleachers, the new gym floor with stripping the floor down to the base wood and redoing that. I’m not saying it looks like a brand-new gym, but I’ll match it against anybody in northeast Indiana.”

The new gym improvements will be put to use Saturday, Oct. 27, as HNHS hosts the IHSAA Volleyball Semi-State Class 3A and 4A teams.

The next meeting of the HCCSC School Board is Monday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. at Salamonie Elementary School, 1063E-900S, Warren.