Currently, the plan is to build the activity center next to the pool area at the high school.

WARSAW — The financial side of the proposed activity center was discussed during the Warsaw School’s board meeting held last night, July 24.

Plans for an activity center started to surface after the new Lincoln Elementary and projects at Washington and Edgewood schools came in under estimates. The school corporation has an allotment of funding for capital improvements and it was decided that the extra funding would be used for a multi-purpose activity center.

The activity center will sit beside the pool area at the high school and will serve the community in two major ways. The main use of the building will be as a flexible educational space. With the ever changing and growing school corporation, a transitional building will help ensure Warsaw schools is able to meet every student’s needs.

The building will also benefit the health and wellness of the community. Currently, uses such as a health clinic, child care classes and facility and a host site for community events are being considered for the building. The final design will be built specifically with the needs of the Warsaw community in mind.

Brandon Penrod, chief financial advisor, was present to discuss the financial aspects of the plan. The main goal in building the activity center is not to raise the tax rate. This will be accomplished by refunding some of the school’s current bonds. This allows the school to have more debt allocation to put towards the project.

A detailed breakdown of existing debt services was presented to the board. Penrod showed how the proposed $10 million lease rental bond would not impact the tax rate with the bond refunding. The planning is still in the early design phase and more information will be revealed as the process continues.

In other news:

• The new Tiger Store, with apparel products from Adidas, Nike and Under Armour, will have online and traveling stores throughout the school year.
• Online enrollment is open and the process allows parents to register their students easily and quickly.
• An update on the University of Virginia partnership was given. Many best practices will be implemented within the school system based on information gained through the partnership.
• Former mayor Jeff Plank was honored for his commitments to the school system. Plank is moving from the area to St. John’s.
• The first day of the school year is Wednesday, Aug. 16.