SYRACUSE — With previous experience building a new school building in the Wawasee Community School Corporation, Fetters Construction Co. of Auburn was awarded the bid to build the new Syracuse Elementary School. The bid was awarded during the regular monthly meeting of the Wawasee school board Tuesday evening, Sept. 8, in Syracuse.

Fetters submitted a base bid of $17,710,000 and with two alternate options added on the final total comes to $17,722,100. Fetters had the lowest bid of the five prime bidders. It was estimated by architects Barton-Coe-Vilamaa bids would come in at less than $18 million, though the Fetters bid was the only one of the five that did.

Fetters oversaw the construction of North Webster Elementary School and more recently the new Pierceton Elementary School in the Whitko district.

In other business, the board heard a brief report from Mike Lindsey of Performance Services about energy conservation in the Wawasee district. Lindsey noted the district avoided paying $245,783 in energy costs for the 2014-15 school year, a reduction in energy use of 21 percent. He noted an energy leadership program was started four years ago and has resulted in all schools being Energy Star certified.

Even with the last two winters being especially harsh, actual energy use was down 18.9 percent for the 2014-15 school year. Lindsey said he expects energy costs to increase for both electricity and natural gas. During the last four years, Wawasee avoided paying $990,821 in energy costs.

Also on the agenda, the board saw a short video clip promoting the seventh annual Connected Learning Assures Successful Students retreat at North Webster Elementary Oct. 9. Better known as C.L.A.S.S., the retreat brings in teachers from even out of state and into North Webster classrooms to see how lessons are taught connected to the six components of brain research and learning, known as BrainWeb.

Kris Woodard, North Webster Elementary principal, said the retreat is an opportunity “to show off North Webster teachers.”

Joy Goshert, director of instruction and curriculum for the Wawasee district, said an application has been submitted to the Indiana Department of Education for formative assessment grants in the areas of English and math. Wawasee is applying for the grants in grades third through eighth for Northwest Evaluation Association testing. Wawasee is also using the new Skills Navigator program that will allow teachers to have students work in areas in which they are in need of remediation or support based upon NWEA results.

For grades nine and 10, Wawasee is applying for the grant for reading assessments and for grades kindergarten through second, the grant for NWEA tests for reading and math.

In other business, the school board approved entering an agreement with the Wawasee Yacht Club for Wawasee High School students, mostly seniors, to take sailing classes in the fall at the Yacht Club. Twenty-one students will take the class and there is usually a waiting list. Though board members agreed it is a good opportunity for students, some questioned the cost of the course. It will now cost $1,250, up $500 from last year. Dr. Tom Edington, superintendent, noted much of the cost increase can likely be attributed to insurance concerns since students are involved.

School corporation attorney James Flecker said finalizing the agreement was a complicated process and involved several lawyers, the school corporation and insurance carriers.