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Board Meeting 10 21 08 R-2 to Hire Long-Range Facility Planning Company Last month, the Chillicothe R-2 Board of Education voted to table a decision on hiring a long-range facility planning company, citing a lack of funding. Tuesday night, the board unanimously voted to hire one after learning an anonymous donor has pledged $20,000 toward the project. Superintendent Dr. Linda Gray Smith recommended hiring Dickinson Hussman Architects, based in St. Louis, Missouri, for developing a comprehensive district facility needs plan. She explained that with the $20,000 donation, the district would be footing only $2,000 to come up with the remainder of the cost, and no more than $2,000 extra to cover traveling expenses for a total of no more than $4,000. Smith said Dickinson Hussman Architects will start by conducting a survey of staff members from each building. Staff members will be asked to provide input on how each building meets the needs of the students. Next, Smith says, Dickinson Hussman Architects will send engineers to examine each building, making note of any roofing, electrical or mechanical problems. Once that is finished, Smith said, the information will be complied and will be presented to the board, along with the projected costs. “This will give us a good, complete list of our facility needs from qualified people,” Smith said. She added that the work will likely take about five months. Following that, the company will hold public forums designed to net community input to come up with a long range plan for the board to consider over the summer of 2009. On behalf of the board, vice president Rick Baker expressed his appreciation to the anonymous donor for his or her generosity. “I think it’s very important that we do this (develop a facility needs master plan),” Baker said. In other business, the board did not revise the district’s policy on community use of school facilities. The matter has been under discussion for the past three months and dealt with the possibility of allowing alcohol at the Jenkins Expo Center when the building was leased for adult, non-school-related events. Board members also voted to contract with Edison Learning (formerly Newton Learning) for the 2009 and 2010 summer school programs. Smith said the district needs to offer learning opportunities in the summer because summer school helps kids by providing two meals a day and extended learning opportunities. Summer school programs also give parents a safe environment for their children, while maximizing state funding. (The state financially rewards districts through summer school attendance hours). Smith said that she wants the district to offer a broader summer school experience than it has offered in previous years. She predicted that next year's installment will include Edison Learning programs for students grades kindergarten through sixth grade, a blended Edison and R-2 District program for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, and an R-2 program for ninth through twelfth grade students. Smith said that the 2009 summer school program will include recovery classes for grades 6-12, and an expansion of the 6-12 grade offerings to ease schedules for students who wish to take many courses. Smith recommended
contracting with Edison Learning for two years to net the district
savings. Last year's costs, Smith said, was about $540 per student.
"If we do a two-year contract, the first year we pay $527 per pupil
and the next year we will pay $518 per pupil," Smith said. She
advised that even with the district providing its own program for students
in grades 9-12, it will still be able to pay $100 to each student
receiving perfect attendance. Smith said that many families use the $100
toward the purchase of school supplies, school shoes and coats. Although the Chillicothe R-2 School District has received several bids for the purchase of school property surrounding the administration building and the old Chillicothe High School building, the board of education did not make a decision on the issue Tuesday night. The board unanimously voted to move the property sale discussion into executive session, which was scheduled following the regular meeting. Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Linda Gray Smith said no action on the issue was taken during the closed session. “The board will likely make a decision in November,” she predicted. Though board members made no decision on the property sale, they did approve bid specifications for the demolition of the old Chillicothe High School during the open meeting. During the discussion and subsequent unanimous vote, board president Randy Constant recused himself, citing a conflict of interest. With Rick Baker, board vice president presiding, Smith explained the district needs to be prepared with bid specifications for the building’s inevitable demolition in the event the board decides not to sell the building to a salvage company. According to Wade Schroeder, R-2 assistant superintendent, it will likely take three months to demolish the old high school, including a three week window to take care of the building’s asbestos. He advised that the board will need to approve a bid for demolition in November (if members decide not to sell the building to a salvager) for work to begin over the summer of 2009. Because the bid specifications were approved, the district will now advertise for bidders and hold a pre-bid conference on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the old high school before bids are due on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. The bid specifications will call for the complete demolition of the old structure and graded dirt ready for planting grass, where the building currently stands. Schroeder also advised the board that a drainage field will most likely need to be built at the site to allow for adequate storm water runoff. The specifications call for temporary walls to be constructed on the adjoining walls of the newer buildings that surround the old high school. However, he noted that while the work was going on, permanent posts would likely be needed to be installed to support permanent walls which will be constructed later. Board members did discuss the possibility of salvaging some items from the historic building prior to demolition. Because the building has already been deemed surplus property, the district can sell and salvageable items inside at any time. Board members stipulated that bidders will have to state in their bid whether or not they plan on salvaging any items from the building prior to demolition. In other executive session business, the board accepted resignations from Barbara Stith, paraprofessional; and Ralph Holland, bus driver. The board approved the hiring of Jason Nibarger as assistant technology specialist and George Taylor as a bus driver. R-2 District
Receives Bids On Old CHS Building, Administration Property Bids on the Chillicothe R-2 School District’s recently-pronounced surplus property (the old Chillicothe High School building, the Chillicothe R-2 administration building and its 11.24 acres of property surrounding it) were opened Thursday, Oct. 16th at 1 p.m. According to Wade Schroeder, R-2 assistant superintendent, several bids were submitted and are:
Schroeder reports that the board will consider the bids during next week’s regular October board meeting which is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21st in the administration building. Schroeder stressed that the board is not obligated to act on any of the bids submitted. |
