BROWNSTOWN — A Dillsboro firm has been hired as the general contractor for a project to add a gymnasium at Brownstown Elementary School.
Poole Group Inc.’s bid to serve as general contractor for that project, which is expected to start before the end of winter, was $6,232,700. The other bidders for the work and their bids were CPM Construction, Indianapolis, $7.02 million; SCS Construction Services, Greenwood, $6.837 million; T&T Construction, $6.258 million.
The gymnasium will have a seating capacity of 750 to hold all students and staff.
Also during the recent Brownstown Central Community School Corp. board of school trustees meeting, Brownstown Central High School Principal Joe Sheffer told the board the school is partnering with Tim Peace, a co-owner of Equus Flight Academy in Salem, to offer aviation maintenance and management courses to Brownstown Central students during the 2024-25 school year. The students will travel to Salem for instruction from the academy.
There’s currently a high demand for skilled workers in the aviation field. By 2026, to keep up with demand, more than 480,000 aircraft technicians will be needed, along with more than 350,000 pilots, according to the International Civil Aviation Association.
Sheffer said the students can obtain two of the three years they need for certification and also work toward obtaining a pilot’s license.
In an unrelated matter, trustees approved emergency expenditures of $7,784.91, leaving a $77,872.72 balance in the emergency allocation fund. Harrell-Fish Inc. of Bedford was paid $6,389.48 for an HVAC repair at the high school, and TK Elevator was paid $1,395.43 for elevator repairs at the high school.
Regarding personnel, the board accepted the resignations/terminations of Ashley Wolka, an instructional aide at the elementary school; Brian Savilla, a social studies teacher at the high school; and Austin Green, an assistant baseball coach and summer assistant baseball coach.
The board also gave approval to the appointment of occupational therapist Alice Chadwell; Elizabeth Jones as an instructional aide at the elementary school (28-hour position); and Jamey Wilson as an assistant football coach.
The retirements of Susie Alstatt, a fourth grade teacher; Karen Ault, a library media specialist at the middle school; and Elisa Reed, a math teacher at the middle school, also were approved by trustees.