On Monday, there will be several motions at the Indiana School Board Meeting concerning the proposed Ben Franklin Elementary Project.
On the agenda for approval is another submission of an application for PlanCon Part E. PlanCon is funding from the state that the school district is applying for to help fund the Ben Franklin Elementary Project. Last month, the board approved parts D and E for submission to the state, but some felt that some questions in part E were not answered accurately. The portions in question dealt with if the project was consistent with applicable local and county plans and ordinances, which was answered yes; if there was an adopted multi-municipal or multi-county comprehensive land use plan, which was answered no; and if the project was consistent with the comprehensive plans and/or zoning ordinaces, which was answered yes. Members of Indiana Borough Council during the public comment section of the meeting on January 23rd said that the answers were inaccurate, saying the proposed closures of Horace Mann and Eisenhower elementary schools would run counter to the borough’s priorities of maintaining walk-able communities.
An amended Part E application is up for approval at the next meeting on Monday. The board will also consider approval of the issuance of general obligation bonds. Two other motions for the project from Board Member Walter Schroth are asking the board to not sign or execute any construction contracts, or sell any additional bonds for the new school project until all permits for the East Pike expansion and new Ben Franklin project are physically in hand.
