Lafayette School Corporation’s Sunnyside Middle School is altering its name. This summer, it’s set to change to Sunnyside Intermediate School.
School board members unanimously approved the move.
Superintendent Les Huddle says this name better reflects the school’s student body of fifth and sixth graders.
"The term intermediate in the educational field tends to mean upper-elementary. And that's what, really, Sunnyside is,” he says. “It's not going to change the program, that's internal there. It's not going to change the students who attend it. It's just simply a name change that helps us identify the exact students that are in that building."
Huddle says at this point, the move is as simple as changing signage outside of the building. He expects the change to officially take effect July 1.
The LSC board also has agreed to a contract with provider WeCare, thanks to a partnership with the Tippecanoe School Corporation. WeCare currently operates two employee wellness clinics in Lafayette.
Under the agreement, LSC is paying roughly $100,000 to reimburse some of TSC’s startup costs, along with approximately $3,500 a month going forward. Officials with both school corporations anticipate saving money with the collaboration.
In addition to action on the health of employees, the board is focusing on the health of its facilities by choosing a company to lead its new energy conservation efforts.
Board members awarded a contract to Dallas-based Cenergistic, Incorporated.
Huddle says the school corporation has been in negotiations with Cenergistic since October.
"We looked at the services they provide and checked out their references,” he says. “We know other corporations in the state of Indiana have been using them for a number of years. We feel comfortable now with their proposal and what they can do and save money."
Huddle believes the move has the potential to save LSC up to $6 million over the next ten years. He says the plan includes an educational component for school staff members to be more energy-conscious.