2 firms take on Aspen Meadows work
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
The two companies Northwest Allen County Schools hired this week to keep its newest elementary school on track for an August opening are tasked with completing almost $200,000 in improvements.
The board hired Strahm Building Solutions and Dancer Concrete Design on Monday immediately after terminating a contract with Mosaic Building Solutions.
Superintendent Chris Himsel on Monday did not specify the problems with Mosaic, which was awarded a construction contract in 2018 for $25,744,660. An email Monday and a phone call Wednesday seeking comment from Mosaic were not returned.
An April 8 memo from John Miller, the district s chief operations officer, says the recently hired companies will address about $172,000 in needs. Strahm Building Solutions is responsible for $147,559 in work.
NACS board president talks about gene therapy
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
The Northwest Allen County Schools board president continued Monday to use his platform about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Kent Somers, who works for an international reinsurance company, characterized the vaccines as gene therapy at a late March meeting, and on Monday he again referred to gene therapy when encouraging people to research the vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is adamant COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way.
The agency further explains the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are messenger RNA vaccines, which teach human cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response.
NIKI KELLY | The Journal Gazette
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Senate approved a two-year state budget by a 39-10 vote Tuesday after two hours of sometimes intense debate – mostly over education funding.
A final compromise version with the House will come next week. All area senators supported the legislation.
The most strident speech against the budget came from longtime Republican Evansville Sen. Vaneta Becker. She called out the lack of effort on increasing teacher pay and the growing cost of K-12 school choice programs.
Becker said the state is losing teachers right and left because salaries are lagging the nation but, “I know most people in here don t care about that.”
The Northwest Allen County School Board held a public work session during its meeting Monday to address parent concerns over the continued mask mandate in
NACS fires school contractor
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
Northwest Allen County Schools on Monday fired the contractor tasked with building its newest elementary school.
The district had no desire to terminate the contract with Mosaic Building Solutions, Superintendent Chris Himsel said after the school board meeting. However, he said, that was the best option to ensure Aspen Meadow Elementary School can welcome students in August.
Himsel did not specify the problems with Mosaic, which was awarded a $25,744,660 construction bid in 2018.
Aspen Meadow s August 2020 opening was delayed last spring. At that time, Himsel said the roof, gym, certain classroom spaces and outdoor areas wouldn t be substantially completed before the start of the 2020-21 academic year, even under the best circumstances.