A new planned elementary school near HSE Intermediate/Junior High School on Cyntheane Road could be welcoming students at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.  That’s what administrators told the Hamilton Southeastern School Board in a Tuesday morning work session.

Timelines put the start of construction in late 2017 or early 2018.  It is expected to take about 18 months to construct the building.

Major renovations at Cumberland Road Elementary will likely begin during the summer of 2017, with the project to be completed by the end of 2018 at the latest.

The administration building is slated for major remodeling, starting in the summer of 2017, with all work to be done in the last quarter of 2018.

Board member Sylvia Shepler asked about the status of improvements at Durbin Elementary, and administrators say Hamilton Southeastern Utilities plans to extend lines to the area in 3-4 years, unless the school corporation is able to work out another arrangement with the local utility before that time.  Water and sewer hookups will be needed to expand Durbin.

All work session discussions about facilities were preliminary.  Superintendent Allen Bourff says his staff will prepare a recommendation for board action to move forward with these building projects.

The board also heard a presentation from Community Health Network on its proposal to provide mental health services to students in the school system.  Assistant Superintendent Mike Beresford told board members there were three proposals submitted and Community’s bid is the administration’s recommendation for board approval .

Community plans to have a mental health professional in each school 2.5 days per week, with each high school assigned one full time.

The contract is not finalized so the board has taken no action on this proposal.