Voters in East Allen County will vote on an $88.7 million referendum in Tuesday's primary

NEW HAVEN, Ind. (WANE) - East Allen County Schools is hoping its taxpayers will pass an $88.7 million referendum that will allow the district to finish its grade structure re-alignment.  If approved, the money will cover several projects, including the costs of constructing one new building and the expansion of another school.

The referendum is the final phase of a three part district-wide plan to have its five attendance areas have the same grade level structure

"Our board decided to re-align our grade level configurations to make them more consistent across our district," Dr. Karyle Green, EACS Superintendent, said.  "That's how we are set up all across the district, with a primary center going to up grade two, a three through six [school], and then a seven through 12."

The first two parts of the plan were to covert the Woodlan and Heritage areas into a K-12 school.  If the referendum is also approved, it will raise the taxes of a $100,000 home by close to $83 per year.

Most of the money for the referendum will be spent in the New Haven area.

New Haven is the only part of the district that does not have a three through six building.  An intermediate school would be created on the campus where the Park Hill Learning Center currently is.

Of the $88.7 million the school is looking for in the referendum, construction of the intermediate school will cost an estimated $23.9 million.

"There are parts of Park Hill we'll retain," said Green, "but we will be building a brand new school over there."

Across the street, more than $25 million will be used to for to build an addition to the New Haven High School.

"We'll be adding to the number of classrooms because it'll be increasing the number of students who are in that facility," said Green.  "There's not only the additional classrooms but there's also the regular renovations and maintenance that need to be done on a normal cycle."

The district says 70% of the costs to create the New Haven Junior/Senior High will be used for needed maintenance. 

The vacant Paul Harding High School will also need work done to it before the building can be turned into East Allen University .  EACS estimates $22.7 million will be needed to complete the regular renovations there.

"We've done no capital work to it," Green said.  "Most of the money going into EAU would be for those projects that are required for upkeep, which includes upgrading the heating and ventilation system, and the school's air conditioning unit.  Along with work to the roof, boilers and the parking lot."

If Tuesday's referendum does not pass, the school will still have to find a way to make those renovations at EAU and New Haven High School.

"That is what's most important," Green said.  "We'll have to find other ways to fund that.  We'll have to expand the periods longer, because we have to do the upkeep on the boilers and we have to do those other things."

The following is the estimated breakdown on how the $88.75 million will be spent:

• New Haven Intermediate School - $23,947,000
• New Haven Jr./Sr. High - $25,382,000
• East Allen University - $22,788,062
• Other project costs - $8,415,000
• Contingency - $3,600,938
• Net capitalized interest - $3,731,000
• Costs of issuance - $886,000

If the referendum fails, EACS will go back to the drawing board.

"We'll turn around and see how we can do things over the years," Green said.  "Are hope and desire is to get everything done at once so we can move forward.  If not, we'll bring in the community and decide how we want to do bit-by-bit throughout the next couple of years."

If the referendum passes, Green said the district would be set, from a facility stand point, for 30 to 40 years.

The following is from the April 25 edition of The News-Sentinel:

New Haven Mayor Terry McDonald has opposed the redesign project from the start, advocating for deeper cuts and a focus at the elementary level not on keeping all five of the high schools. He said if voters reject the referendum he doesn't believe it would put the district in an emergency situation.

"Those buildings aren't new, but they aren't in bad shape," he said. "Students are learning even if they are a bit crowded."

He said he's not sure of the likelihood of the referendum's approval, but the majority of people he's talked to haven't been supportive.

He hopes if the referendum fails, the board looks into developing a new redesign plan.

"(Superintendent Karyle Green and I) have the same goal to be the premiere school corporation. We just see different ways of getting there," he said.