WTT - November, 2022
Welcome to the November, 2022 Issue of Wabash Township Telegraph!
Vol 2022.12.07
In this issue, you will find links to the results from the general election, and notes from the township board meeting. We also have an analysis on the township growth written by David Tate.
General Election Results
The 2022 general election was held November 8th, 2022. Click below to find general election results. Congratulations to all of those who were elected! We look forward to your time in office, and thank you for your willingness to serve our community!
Township Updates
Wabash Township Board
The November township board meeting presented hiring updates from Chief Ward, and adjustments to the township assistance and rainy day funds. You can find information from the meeting by clicking the “Minutes” link below.
West Lafayette Council Meeting Agenda
The West Lafayette City Council regularly meets at 6:30 PM every 1st Monday of the month.
You can always find the next meeting and past minutes here:
This month’s newsletter feature includes a write-up from David Tate discussing the township’s recent growth and its effect on local public services including our schools, fire departments, and law enforcement.
Tippecanoe County Population Boom
If you’ve been a resident of Wabash Township for any length of time, you’ve seen a rather dramatic change in an influx of new apartments, housing developments, stores and transportation patterns. I’d like to explore the growth of our township and what the future may look like. Here are some facts:
Tippecanoe County population in 2011 was 170,965 and by 2020 was 193,302 which ranks the county the 7th most populous out of 92 counties. Using the U.S. Census Bureau's data, the projected population in 2030, which is not that far away, is 204,842. I might add that they projected 187,076 for 2021 indicating we’re growing much faster than projected. If you’re a parent with children in any of our township schools, the data shows an estimated growth of 17.3% in the 5-17 age range by 2021 and by all accounts, we’re ahead of that as well. The city of Lafayette, with an estimated population of 70,835 in 2021, composed roughly 40% of the county population while West Lafayette, with an estimated population of 44,672, was at 24% of the county population. So, what does this growth mean for the school systems in our township? During the period 2018-2019, Harrison High School recorded 2,365 students with an estimated 80% white, 11% Hispanic, 3% Asian and 3% Black with the male population at 52% and female at 48%. The figures for 2020 list Harrison as the 44th largest out of 433 schools in Indiana. If you travel Klondike road at all, you’ve seen the earthmoving equipment scrapping the land just south of the school in preparation for a new addition as a response to the growth in the township. Figures for 2020 shows 450 students in the middle school and, are you ready for this; almost 1000 students in the elementary school K-5th grade with 38% listed as a minority, 45% female, 55% male. Battleground Middle School, just up the road from Harrison High School, shows an estimated enrollment of 760+ students and opened in 2008 to accommodate the growth in this area of the county and township. And by all accounts are already looking at expanding.
Is there an end to all this growth? Well, not for the foreseeable future if you look at the continued expansion of single and multiple family homes being built along county road 600, Morehouse road, Klondike and along US 231. Not to mention the growth of the Purdue Aerospace Park and new companies coming into the area with a projected 750+ new jobs, more housing and more students looking for schools. My analogy for all this is like going to an all you can eat buffet and gorging yourself till you’re sick. The county and township are in this “growth buffet,” and while we’re all enjoying some of the side benefits such as more stores closer to us, the situational impact is being felt on our school systems struggling to keep up with space, teachers and transportation. This unprecedented growth is also impacting the capabilities of our fire and law enforcement agencies to be able to respond with the adequate resources. Our county and township are most fortunate in that the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Wabash Township Fire Department are prepared to respond to any emergency at this time and are diligently looking ahead with regard to being able to continue with the full range of services we’ve become accustomed to receiving.
Our next series will look at the transportation system and how the state and county are responding to this growth. Please plan on attending the next Township board meeting to hear Ryan O’Gara, from the APC, discuss the transportation system.
Request for Articles, Township News, and Ideas
We’re always looking for informative, factual content to share about Wabash Township. Leave a message in the comment section or send us an email at:
Wabash.Telegraph@gmail.com
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