Renovation work continues at local schools

The largest school renovation project in Northwest Indiana continues in the Lake Central School Corp., where voters in the district approved a $160 million construction referendum in 2011.

The district went directly to residents to ask for a tax increase to fund major renovations at Lake Central High School and construct a new building for Protsman Elementary School. Lake Central serves about 9,800 students, including more than 3,200 at the high school.

Lake Central Superintendent Larry Veracco said three-quarters of the money is being spent at the high school. Contractors began work in June 2012 and divided the project into phases. The first consisted of the high school academic wing, which stands three stories high and houses about 100 classrooms, a 50-meter competition swimming pool and locker rooms.

The second phase, now underway, includes building a fine arts band area, a 1,000-seat auditorium, a large media center, black box theater, a large competitive gym, a wrestling room and administrative offices.

The current administrative office building will be demolished and become part of the parking lot. Central office staff will move into the freshman wing at the high school. When all the work is complete, the new high school will be 875,000 square feet.

Veracco said phases two and three overlap but all the renovation that will benefit students should be complete by 2015. "The district's special education administrative team also will be in the same administrative office wing, rather than being housed at Hohman Elementary where they are currently housed. It will benefit us to have them right next to us and it will give Hohman an extra two or three new classrooms," he said.

At Protsman, the final cleanup and landscaping is being done at the new school building. A grand opening is set for Sept. 28.

Other districts preparing facilties

While there are no other projects of that magnitude underway at other region school districts, there are smaller projects.

Highland Superintendent Brian Smith said workers are finishing up some work on the school cafeteria. "We did some roofing work, boilers and chillers last year and paid for that through the capital projects fund. We may need to go to a construction referendum at some point. We may also have to do rewiring at some buildings in the next three years," he said.

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Renovation work continues at local schools