The Lake Central School Corporation is moving forward with facility upgrades.
The school board Monday awarded the bid packages for the expansion of Bibich Elementary School in Dyer, totaling more than $11.7 million. The project calls for 12 new classrooms, a cafeteria expansion and more parking space. Lake Central first tried bidding out the project more than a year ago but ended up re-bidding it, after the responses came in higher than expected.
The school board also awarded more than $3.4 million in bids for a separate project to upgrade the mechanical systems in the current Bibich building.
Upgrades are also planned at Lake Central High School.
The school board awarded bid packages totaling more than $5.6 million to renovate the freshman center's heating and cooling systems. Federal ESSER money will be used to help with the cost.
School officials also continue working on adding lights to the varsity baseball and softball fields. They'll discuss their plans with the St. John Plan Commission in May, with approval possible in June.
Board member Dr. Janice Malchow said the teams are very excited. "One day two weeks ago, they had to cancel a game because it became too dark," Malchow noted. "So then, they can't go ahead and play the game, and it ends up going on the record as a tie, versus a possible win."
Infrastructure for the new lights could be put in place this summer, with the lights themselves to be installed in the fall.
