During the Warsaw Community School Board’s monthly Work Session that took place Tuesday evening, Chief Technology Officer Brad Haag discussed the possibility of a Memorandum of Understanding between the corporation and Warsaw Fiber to utilize an empty WCS fiber optic conduit for Warsaw’s new technology park.

According to Haag, the school system utilizes its own fiber conduit throughout the district to connect each school. Haag explained that the fiber optic cables running through the conduit connect each school to allow schools to share information seamlessly. During the installation of the conduit in the past, Haag explained the contractor made “a good decision” and had laid an additional empty pipe (conduit) alongside the current pipe that is utilized by the school. That pipe was installed in case the school would one day wish to run fiber cables.

Haag said the corporation was approached by the city of Warsaw to seek use of the current conduit for the new technology park that is along U.S. 30 at CR 150 West. According to Haag, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer has a “substantial interest in creating a low cost network for use at the technology park.” Though Haag did decline the use of the current conduit, the city was receptive to looking at use of the spare conduit.

Members of the board did express hesitations at potentially limiting the corporation in the future by granting use of the conduit to the city, Hagg stated Warsaw Fiber will grant a total of 10 pairs of fiber cables to the corporation and explained that currently, the district utilizes one pair for one, large server machine. After brainstorming with his team, Hagg was unable to come up with any situation in the next 10 years that the school would ever need more than 10 additional pairs of fiber cables, especially as technology requires less fibers to run a machine.

“We still have spare fibers – we are not currently using the full capacity of the fiber in conduit one,” explained Haag. “Warsaw Fiber would like to form a Memorandum of Understanding where they would pull their fiber through that empty conduit, and where they pull that fiber, they will not enter our facility, it will stay out on the street.”

Haag also explained that with the current conduit line that it utilized, should there be a cut in the line the school could lose connection. However, according to Haag, Warsaw Fiber has stated they are considering future routes on the west side of Warsaw. Should the construction of those extra lines occur, the school would be able to utilize them and create a ring that could withstand a single cut, as well as offer an extra service area the corporation does not currently have access to.

The school board will vote on Monday as to whether they will accept or decline the memorandum.

In other news, Cheryl Cook, director of the transportation department, approached the board with a quote for annual school bus replacement. The department was seeking the purchase of one conventional, 66 passenger school bus and one special needs bus. The purchase of the new buses from Kerlin Motors will cost a total of $704,166.

Due to the fact the special needs bus will be outfitted with seatbelts for students and adult passengers alike, the board was required by the state to host a hearing. Cook explained that on the special needs bus the seatbelts are useful with passengers who may have difficulties staying secure. She also explained that all teachers riding on the bus are also required to use a seatbelt while onboard.

Though the hearing was meant to focus on why the special needs bus would utilize safety belts, the question arose as to why no other buses utilize them and whether Cook believed children were safe without the retrofitting of seatbelts on general school buses. She said the buses, which she compared to tanks, were extremely reliable in absorbing shock and board member Randy Polston noted security footage from the Wawasee bus crash (see related) featured on StaceyPageOnline.com for demonstrating the ability of the bus to keep children in their seat during impact.

Buses are replaced within the district after 12 years of use. The board will vote Monday night during the regular board meeting to decide whether to replace the buses.

Members of the board and the transportation department also discussed the opening of the bid process to local snow removal companies. According to director of Building and Grounds Greg Schroeder, in the interest of being both fair and transparent, WCS will try a new approach and will advertise the ability for all interested contractors to submit a bid for snow removal.

The bid will include a listing of specifications and equipment as well as an “encounter rate.” The use of an encounter rate, which would be the price of the removal of one regular snowfall where between 1 inch and 4 inches of snow fall, will allow for the corporation to more easily deem what the “best price” truly is.

According to Schroeder, the school corporation utilized six separate contractors to remove snow at district schools. Schroeder explained the reason the school corporation utilized several contractors in the past was due to the “small window of opportunity to clear snow for school.” The school corporation also agreed to consider the change of the 1-year snow removal contract to a multi-year contract to include three years.