More bussing options possible for LSC students?

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Lafayette's two middle schools could be going wireless thanks to an unexpected windfall.

The trustees for the Lafayette School Corporation accepted a $697,000 bid Monday night for a wireless network at Jeff High School. But school officials had budgeted $1.3 million for purchasing mostly infrastructure for the district.

A $2 million bond approved in November is paying for the improvements. With roughly $600,000 in unexpected savings, Superintendent Les Huddle hopes that it will be enough to allow both Tecumseh Junior High and Sunnyside Middle School to also go wireless.

"We're extremely pleased with the bids that came in for the wireless project at Jefferson High School," said Huddle. "What we'll do now since this bid came in now and we have some of this extra money that has to be used for these types of things."

The school board may look at changing the current bus routes in future years.

Huddle said listening tours around the district last month have yielded two consistent themes for consideration.

The first is improving food service especially at schools without their own cafeteria where food is trucked in from other places.

The second is transportation. Currently, bussing is not provided to any student who lives less than 1.5 miles from his or her school.

"The board will discuss that. I know it will be a topic in the future, but there's no guarantees," Huddle said. "As you start providing transportation closer to the buildings, we all know the cost goes up."

Meetings with both Jeff high school parents and students are set for later this week to finish out the listening tour.

Huddle said one thing that has surprised him was some topics that have not been brought up, most notably curriculum and any suggestions or concerns about what's currently being taught.