School construction nearing final phases
The construction of the new Holton Elementary School is now entering what Nabholz construction superintendent David Lassiter characterizes as “the big push to the end.’’
Lassiter met with the school board here Monday evening to provide an update on the construction progress.
Sidewalks, paving, landscaping, grading for the parking lot, sheetrocking, painting, tile and carpet laying and cabinet and locker installation are all projects that are in the works now.
Doors and windows and “storefront’’ work, along with interior glass work, will all be taking place early in June, he said. Flooring work will proceed over the next month, also.
It now looks like the transfer of items from the Colorado and Central Elementary Schools at the end of this month will first be made to the fair building, which is owned by the school district. The move in to the new school likely will now take place at the end of June, school officials said.
Items and equipment will be stored on pallets at the fair building for easy transfer to the new school when the time comes.
Bids for asbestos removal at the old Colorado school are being taken now and are due by May 20, Lassiter said. There is 1,000 sq. ft. of the encapsulated asbestos to be removed.
Plans are also being made to remove the mobile home classrooms from the Colorado campus soon also, it was reported. The school district leased the mobiles and does not own them.
Demolition of the old school will start as soon as possible the week after the school has been vacated on May 27, Supt. Dennis Stones said.
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At its meeting, the school board approved a motion 7-0 to purchase a new 2017 53-passenger school bus, and bus camera from Midwest Transit for a total of $79,744.
Kansas Truck Equipment of Wihita bid $78,779. Midwest Bus Sales of Bonner Springs bid $79,686 and Midwest Transit of Nixa, Mo. bid $77,519, plus $2,225 for a camera on the bus.
Supt. Stones said that recent major mechanical problems with one of the district’s existing buses necessitated the purchase of a new bus at the time. He said the district had been budgeting for such a purchase.
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The board approved a motion 7-0 to purchase a set of four-row, motorized bleachers from Heartland Seating for $27,664 for the high school’s old gym, and also allowing for up to $3,000 for the electrical work that will be required. The four-row bleachers sit 205 people.
One other company, Carroll Seating, submitted bids for three and four-row motorized and non-motorized bleachers. Its bid was about $2,000 higher for each of the motorized bleacher bids and about the same for the manual ones.
The old bleachers at the gym were deemed structurally unsafe earlier this year. They have been sold for $500, it was reported.
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The cost of the school district’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield health care plan for qualifying employees will increase by an estimated 14 percent, it was reported at the meeting. The district pays up to $375 for each employee only and employee/spouse premium and up to $580 per month for each employee/child and employee/family policy.
In other business, the school board:
*Noted the presence of all board members,
*Approved bills totaling $1,821,671.80.
*Approved May payroll totaling $1,129,765.35.
*Approved the following new hires - Tyler Ryan (high school business computer/web design), Stephanie Ryan (fourth grade teacher), Jennifer McElroy (kindergarten teacher), Michelle Krause (special education IRC Axtell), Taylor Kayser (special education behavior specialist), Matt Hundley (middle school assistant track coach) and Heather Link middle school assistant secretary).
* Approved the following resignation - Tammy Kranz (middle school food service, Jill Blake (special education behavior specialist), Tina Haefke (special education assistant director), Vicki Vossler (special education director), Shelly Schmelzle (special education Sabetha EC para), Jacey Holliday (special education JH para), Remi Twombly (special education H para).
Melanie Woltje (special education gifted para), Megan Perkuhn (special education IRC Axtell), Chelsey Hiltibrand (kindergarten teacher), Teresa Wood (special education Onaga para) and Sarah Pickens (special education IRC Holton elementary).
*Acknowledged the following retirements - Mark Hufford (special education IRC JH) and Ginny Robinson (HHS tutor).
*Approved the following employment transfers - Jay Gilliland (special education IRC JH to HMS seventh grade social studies teacher) and Janci Smith-Sullivan (special education para to Holton Elementary pre-school teacher).
*Accepted a $1,223 donation from basketball supporters for a NOAH basketball shooting machine that tracks the flight of the ball.
*Saw Supt. Stones being presented with an Honorary FFA Degree from the Holton FFA.
*Heard from FFA Envirothon members Alex Clark, Tel Wittmer and Walker Sheldon about their team’s recent successes. At area competition, the team placed second overall (first in foresty and second in oral presentation). The Holton FFA has three upcoming trips planned – State FFA Convention, May 31-June 3 at Manhattan, the North America Envirothon July 23-29 at Ontario, Canada and the National FFA Convention Oct. 17-22.
The board approved a motion to allow the three trips with sponsors and to provide transportation and costs for sponsors to attend the National FFA Convention. Transportation for the Canada trip will be to the airport.
*Met with Barb Schaul of the Parents As Teachers organization and afterwards approved a motion 7-0 to contract for three units next school term.
Currently, PAT is approved for three units in the district, serving 21 families. The first unit costs $5,300 and each additional unit costs $3,000.
A total of 31 families in the district were served this year with eight families being first-time parents and three teen moms, Schaul said. This covered 36 children and she still has families on her waiting list.
*Learned from Supt. Stones that he had provided some information to the city of Holton about the Central Elementary School building and grounds that city officials had requested. So far, Stones said, city officials have not contacted him for further information.
Stones said that no appraisal of the property had been performed yet. He said he had also contacted Tom Bishop of Homestead Affordable Housing about the idea of refurbishing the property.
*Approved a new network improvement technology plan for the district totaling $11,936.94 plus some installation costs of $567.
Tom Sextro, technology director, said federal funds (E-rate funding) will cover $37,899.80 of the new equipment costs. Fox Business Systems of Manhattan will install the equipment at a cost of $1,890 with the district’s portion of $567.
*Watched a powerpoint presentation on the history of state aid to Kansas schools from 1972 to now.
*Heard from HHS principal Rod Wittmer that he attended the state journalism contest last weekend with HHS students and that eight of them placed in the top four of various competitions.
*Learned from Carolyn Cochren, director of the Fresh Start program, that 21 students will be graduating from the program this year. There will be a reception fom 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. this Thursday at the Fresh Start center to congratulate the grads.
*Approved a motion to renew the district’s membership with the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) for $9,662 and to renew a one year legal assistance contract with KASB for an additional $1,650.
*Approved a motion to take a 10-minute break at 8:32 p.m.
*Upon returning to open session, approved a motion 7-0 to enter into executive session at 8:43 p.m. for 15 minutes to discuss matters pertaining to non-elected personnel with Supt. Stones and Asst. Supt. Joe Kelly.
*Upon returning to open session at 8:58 p.m., approved a motion to enter executive session for five minutes to discuss matters pertaining to non-elected personnel with Stones and Kelly.
*Upon returning to open session at 9:03 p.m., approved a motion 7-0 to accept the list of certified staff provided by Stones.
*Approved a motion 7-0 to offer a one-year contract to Amy Haussler to serve as the Holton Special Education Cooperative Director. Salary will be $88,000 for 260 day contract with employee only health care plan at $591.60 per month with an annuity of $750; cell phone stipend totaling $60 per month, three days personal leave annually accumulative to five days, 10 days sick leave annually accumulative to 75 days, 20 vacation days annually accumulative to 75 days, group life and salary protection coverage to the negotiated base.
*Approved a motion to negotiate a vacation day buy-back with Vicki Vossler.
*Approved a motion to enter into executive session at 9:06 p.m. for 10 minutes to discuss teacher salary negotitations with Stones and Kelly.
*Upon returning to open session at 9:16 p.m., approved a motion to adjourn the meeting.
*Noted the following important dates:
May 20 – Last day of school for elementary students.
May 21 – high school graduation at 6 p.m.
May 23 – Middle school graduation at 7 p.m. @ HHS
May 25 – Last Day of school for midde school and high school.
May 26 – Teacher work day/staff development day.
May 30- Memorial Day – Offices closed.
