Open house for new school rescheduled
The date for the ribbon-cutting and public open house at the new Holton Elementary School, originally planned for Sunday, Sept. 18, is now being re-scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 23.
Following a progress report report from Nabholz representative Michael Feamster and construction foreman David Lassiter that indicated there is still a few weeks of finish work to go, Superintendent Dennis Stones gave the school board the option to proceed with the ribbon-cutting and open house, as scheduled, or re-schedule it.
The board’s consensus was to have all the finish work completed before the ribbon-cutting and open house.
Feamster and Lassiter reported that the following wrap-up work is still in progress:
* They will be finishing the stripe painting on the gym floor this week and after that the floor will receive a sealer coat.
*They will be placing more signage around the parking lot (such as a 5 mph sign) and painting additional directional lines to help the flow of traffic at the pick-up and drop-off area in front of the school.
*The elevator in the new school is receiving its final inspections.
*They are making some adjustment to doors.
*Displaying the historical-type school graphics/murals on the walls at the main hallway, located at the entrance to the new school, is to begin this week.
*The annex to the new school, the part of the old Colorado school that was saved, is to receive metal panels over the next week.
*Some adjustments to the cement floor in the nurse’s office (a floor clean-out) will require a span of five to 10 work days. A section of cement will be removed. Some plumbing pipes will be lowered and then the cement will be repoured and carpet re-laid. This work may be scheduled for winter break.
In other business, the school board:
*Noted the absence of board members Mike Ford, Shelby Patch, Carl Matousek.
*Approved bills totaling $1,775,667.01.
*Approved September payroll totaling $1,134,293.50.
*Accepted the following resignations - Carol Goodwin (SE para, SMS), Evelyn Gorden (SE para, RVHS), Jennifer Marek (RE library para, HMS) Jodie Swendson (registrar secretary, HES), June Simon (SE para, HMS), David Ashcraft (HMS asst. track coach), Keri Miller (HMS asst. volleyball coach) and Noel Montgomery (HMS head wrestling coach and HHS asst. wrestling coach).
*Approved the following new hires - Pamela Holthaus (SE para, RVHS), Megan Lovvorn (ESOL para, HMS) and Vicki Pruett (RE library para, HMS).
*Approved the following employment transfers - Dyann Parks (HMS ESOL para to substitute teacher) and Chris Heineken (SE para, CAPS to SE para, HMS).
*Accepted the following donations - Holton Band Booster Club donated two Gemeinhardt Piccolos at a cost of $300 each, a $3,000 Youth Literacy Grant from Dollar General was awarded to Jill Schultz (Holton elementary reading specialist), First United Methodist Church donated 500 notebooks, books, shoes, etc., Prairie Band Casino donated school supplies and Mike Ford donated $26,150 for equipment to update some of the school-owned items out at the Banner Creek Science Center and Observatory.
* Heard from HHS Principal Rod Wittmer that high school band department was inviting band alumni back to perform with the band this Friday night at the high school football game.
*Learned that outside playground equipment from the old schools are being moved to the new school and that pea-gravel will replace mulch at the new play areas.
*Talked about notifying the Holton Police Department, giving it the authority to issue citations on the new school grounds.
*Approved a motion, at maintenance director Mike Porter’s request, to renew the district’s contract with Air Filter Plus for the current school year at the same price as last year - $4,180.14.
Porter also presented an estimate of $7,026.56 to purchase a chariot vacuum for the new elementary from Southwest Paper. Porter said the riding vacuum is versatile with a floating head, which allows it to move from tile, to carpet, to wood, to linoleum etc., automatically. Following Porter’s presentation, the board approved a motion to purchase it.
Porter said he would also like to purchase two cart vacs from Southwest Paper that have the vacuum attached to a cart that would allow custodians to store all of their cleaning supplies.
This way, Porter said, custodians would only have one piece of equipment to move from place to place instead of making three to five trips each time they want to use the vacs.
The only issue with the cart vacs, Porter said, is that the cart vac batteries only stay charged for about an hour and a half. It takes about four hours of cart vac operation to cover areas in the school that the riding vac can’t reach, he said.
Porter and the board agreed to table a decision on the cart vacs until the battery issue could be addressed with Southwest Paper.
Porter also explained some issues with some wooden fire exit doors at the high school. Following the explanation, the board approved a motion to pay $1,975 to Commercial Door & Supply for a related purchase.
*Heard a report from Supt. Stones that he had received a cost estimate of $46,000 to paint the old fair building that is now the property of the school district. The price received, he said, included sealing the windows, but did not include painting the fair building’s roof.
Stones said he would visit with some local painters for some possible better pricing.
*Learned that after all of the equipment and furniture from the old Colorado and Central schools are moved to the new elementary school, then middle school and high school staff will have opportunity to review the inventory for possible use at those schools. After that, a surplus auction could be held at the fair building. A tentative date for the auction was set at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.
* Heard an update on the high school auditorium renovation project from HHS Principal Wittmer.
Wittmer said installation of 418 new auditorium chairs is expected to occur in January. The chairs are being built now. A fabric color needs to be selected and he had several fabric samples to show board members. The seat fabric will have a 10-year warranty and it will be easy to clean with soap and water, if necessary.
Wittmer said the best time to remove the existing auditorium chairs would be over winter break.
*Learned that activities director and bus supervisor Jason Schroeder was still gathering information about bus tracking systems.
*Approved “Assurances for Special Education 2017’’ – some annual paperwork required.
*Learned that there is still some interest from two potential buyers regarding the sale of the old Central school and grounds.
Supt. Stones said the district is still paying utilities for the old school, which will need to be winterized soon, and that the old boiler heating system will have to operated there over the winter if the property is not sold before then.
He said he initially had three serious inquiries about the building and now it is down to two. There has been an offer to purchase the playground area, but that property will continue to be packaged with the school facility at this time, he said.
*Approved a motion at at 7:07 p.m. to enter into executive session for for 10 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel with Stones, Porter and assistant superintendent Joe Kelly present.
*At 7:22 p.m., after re-entering to open session, approved a motion to enter into executive session for 15 minutes to discuss teacher salary negotiations with Stones and Kelly present.
*At 7:37 p.m., upon returning to open session, approved a motion to enter into executive session for 15 minutes to discuss teacher salary negotiations with Stones and Kelly.
*At 7:52 p.m., upon re-entering open session, approved a motion to enter into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss teacher salary negotiations with Stone and Kelly present.
*Upon returning to open session at 8:02 p.m., approved a motion to enter into executive session for 14 minutes to discuss teacher salary negotiations with Stones, Kelly and board clerk Dee Folk present.
*Returned to open session at 8:16 p.m.
*Approved a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 p.m.
