Sunman-Dearborn Board Approves $48M In School Upgrades, Maintenance

Work to upgrade classrooms and replace the East Central High School swimming pool will likely start in 2020.

Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools Board of Trustees. File photo.

(St. Leon, Ind.) - Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools are moving forward with $48 million in building maintenance and improvements.

At a required public hearing Thursday, the school corporation’s board of trustees voted unanimously to pass three resolutions approving financing for the upgrades at all five schools in the district.

“We are excited to have the community’s support and the board’s support,” says S-DCSC superintendent Andrew Jackson. “This is an opportunity to improve our programming. It’s a heavy lift, but we are ready to get started.”

School culture is set st the board level. Blessed to work for a board that is willing to invest in our top-notch facilities and programs. 

The board voted unanimously this evening to move forward with the $48M project.https://t.co/LBMSkjLDQe

— Andrew Jackson (@SDCS_SUPER) August 16, 2019

Those planned building upgrades are wide-ranging. They include new roofs at each school, upgraded classrooms, new mechanicals such as air conditioners and fire alarms, LED lighting, playground equipment, and more.

A request for proposals for a construction manager has already gone out. A company could be hired by the board in October. Assuming schedules for design and hiring contractors hold up, the maintenance work is likely to start in 2020. It could continue through 2023.

The swimming pool at East Central High School will be replaced, too. A timeline for the pool’s completion has not been determined yet, but the superintendent anticipates work beginning early on.

Jackson says the technology upgrades and building maintenance will improve the learning environment for students.

“Facilities do affect programming,” he states.

Jackson has explained that property tax rate in the district won’t increase from its current level, as the new bonding for this project is replacing old bonds which are being paid off by the school corporation.

Still, taxpayers in the district do have about a month to petition against the project. At least 500 signatures challenging the project would be required by September 19, according to Jackson. That would get the project placed on the ballot for voters to decide next May.

Jackson says he is not aware of opposition to the project.

Information about the project, including a list of the planned upgrades for each school, can be found on the school corporation website at www.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/information/2019-feasibility-study.

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