TL DRUG TESTING POLICY PROMPTS PUBLIC MEETING

Members of the Twin Lakes community are being encouraged to attend a
public meeting Monday at the high school addressing a random student
drug testing policy under consideration by the school corporation's
board of trustees.

The forum will take place at 7 p.m. at the Twin Lakes High School
Auditorium, allowing the corporation to share the draft of the
policy with the public and also provide the public the opportunity
to ask questions and offer suggestions on the policy, which received
its first of two readings at the school board's Tuesday evening meeting.

Roughly one month ago, school board members and Twin Lakes staff met
with a handful of community leaders to gather input on the policy,
which got its start in the board's policy and student affairs committees.

Present at that meeting were Monticello Chief of Police Jim
Reynolds, White County Sheriff John Roberts, White County Prosecutor
Bob Guy and various others representing groups such as the county's
probation department and division of children and family services.

But board president Mark Mills said the purpose of a meeting with
and before the public is to gain an understanding of the attitudes
and desires of those who will most directly be affected by the
policy before it moves any further.

"We need feedback from them, the pros and cons. We do want to move
forward on this but not without public opinion," said Mills Tuesday.

Twin Lakes Superintendent Dr. Tom Fletcher said a key he's looking
for is essentially the bottom line: the need for the policy.

"We needed to show where the problem is, why we need the program,"
said Fletcher, who added, "We think, actually I know, this makes
sense. But we need to get feedback from the community, see how they
feel about this."

Changes can still be made to the policy before it goes for a second
reading, scheduled for the board's March 13 meeting.

In building matters, the board voted 5-2 to accept a bid of $371,500
from CPM Construction out of Indianapolis for the
renovation-addition project on the corporation's administration building.

The bid was the low of two in a second round of bidding, which
followed a first round that featured six submissions all
significantly higher than the project's estimated budget of
$350,000. CPM beat out Wheatfield's The Hamstra Group, whose bid was $394,000.

Architect Rick Schwarz of Lafayette-based Schwarz Associates noted
during the meeting Tuesday the work of the board to do its part in
reducing the bid price to a more manageable level. He explained a
list of 30 items was examined for possible alteration to drive down
the cost. The board was able to do so, said Schwarz, "and still
have the integrity of the project and make it work."

Twenty-two items were changed in the rebid, and many were
differences in lighting, door knobs and other minor fixtures, Schwarz shared.

According to Fletcher, the official application for building permits
will quickly follow last night's approval and the anticipated start
date for construction is mid-March. The project, which will add a
large meeting room, more office and storage space and a
handicap-equipped lift, is expected to be finished sometime in August.