The Lake Forest School Board used its Sept. 25 meeting to show off the brand new South Elementary School in Harrington.

    Board members, students, teachers and administrators took part in a ceremonial ribbon cutting prior to the regular meeting, held in the school’s cafeteria.

    The 55,000-square-foot school was finished on time and under budget, reported district Superintendent Dr. Daniel D. Curry.

    Curry recognized Lake Forest’s Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Robert Hart, for his hard work on the project with a Going the Extra Mile award.

    Hart visited the construction site several times per week during the summer, even on weekends, and often stayed late into the night to help custodians prepare for the school’s opening, Curry said.

    A group of five students from W.T. Chipman Middle School also were recognized for their outstanding success in the nationwide Project Citizen program, in which students develop an initiative to address a specific problem in their community.

    The team of Cheyenne North, Timmy Howell, Spencer Powell, Jacob Stewart and Mark Stewart tied the top score in the county with a plan to eliminate vandalism in their school.

    Jim Cave, principal of W.T. Chipman, presented the students and their teacher, Athena Lebeau, with a blue ribbon and personalized plaques.

In other business…

• A representative from R.G. Architects reported that planning of the Lake Forest High School performing arts and athletic additions is moving ahead smoothly. The estimated cost of the project is currently 8% less than the amount budgeted and bidding is expected to begin in November.

• The board approved restructuring of and slight revisions to the school system’s policy for promoting students to higher grade levels. Beginning with the class of 2010, in order to move from grade 11 to grade 12 students must earn “a minimum of 18 total credits that must include two English, two social studies, two math, one science and 11 additional credits,” according to the revised policy.

Email Doug Denison at doug.denison@doverpost.com