The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools are at a crossroads on the future of Durbin Elementary School in Wayne Township. The school board was informed by Facilities Director Harry Delks that a decision needs to be made no later than January of 2020 in order to begin the process of either expanding the current school or replacing the building. An early 2020 decision by the board would allow construction to begin in the fall of 2020, and the school could be ready for students in 2022.
The board has not acted on Durbin’s future because any expansion at the current site would cost the school corporation at least $5 million just to extend water and sewer lines to the current Durbin site. Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board Wednesday night that HSE owns some land south of the current location but that site would also require the $5 million expense of extending utility lines.
The question facing school officials is whether to expand the current school building at the current site or replace the building entirely at the current location or another tract of land. Schools officials say the construction expense of a new elementary school would cost nearly $28 million, and that does not include the $5 million for the utility extension.
Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter told the board that some bond debt now in place will be paid-off soon, allowing the construction of a new or expanded Durbin Elementary to be financed with no tax rate increase. Reuter told LarryInFishers after the meeting that the complex state statutes are written in such a way that no new voter referendum would be required for a Durbin construction project.
There has been discussion about constructing a replacement for Durbin further south, closer to Fishers, but no specific locations have been publicly named.
The fact that the new Southeastern Elementary is at full capacity due to a higher-than-expected kindergarten enrollment, is resulting in HSE School officials to look at all the options on how to handle the future of Durbin Elementary.