Archive: News

Superintendent Stephen Grimm reported on the state of capital improvement projects at Monday's Board of Education meeting.  Grimm updated the board on two projects that are underway: a new roof on the Elementary School that is nearly finished, and an energy performance contract that is ongoing in all three school buildings.  Both were financed with no additional cost to taxpayers, but a new project may have some tax impact.

All three projects came out of a failed $20 million project the year before Grimm joined the district.  That project included many repairs to the buildings that need to be completed to keep them operating.  Grimm managed to get the most urgent repairs covered in his first two projects, cleverly financing them with a combination of building reserve money. EXCEL aid, and state aid.  While the energy contract will require some expenditure by the school district, the savings realized by more efficient boilers, insulation, etc. will outstrip the money spent.

Grimm called the new initiative 'Learning, Health & Safety Capital Project 2010.  He noted that infrastructure problems uncovered in a Building Condition Survey in 2005 would have been addressed in the failed project, and still need to be dealt with.  He reported that Tetra-Tech, an architectural firm, has been contracted to prepare the project in a form that can be brought to the voters.

Grimm said that the total project will cost $3,600,000.  He reported that a $3,000,000 project could be completed with current resources at no additional cost to taxpayers, but noted that these 'free' projects can't continue forever, and it may be time to ask the public to fund part of the next project.

The project is tentatively slated to include addressing acoustical issue in classrooms that will impact the mechanical system, walls, ceilings, and floors in the high school.  The middle school needs work on exterior doors and on its foundation.  The elementary school will get smoke doors, a fire alarm system, and water distribution.  All three schools would get swipe-cared locks and cameras for additional security.

Grimm said that he hopes to have the project finalized so that voters can be asked to pass it in a late January referendum.  Assuming it passes the construction would take place between August 2010 and September 2011.  He promised more specifics on the project for the next school board meeting.

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