Grafton School Board to evaluate facilities
Building project could be in district’s future plans
Over the next several months, the Grafton School District will be engaged in a process to determine what improvements if any should be made to its three facilities, Grafton High School, Century Elementary and Central Middle School.
At Monday’s regular monthly meeting, the Grafton School Board, on recommendation from the Building and Grounds, Transportation and Technology Committee (BGTTC) unanimously passed a motion to hire Johnson Controls to do a project development study.
The cost of the study to the district is $40,500.
The motion to approve the project development agreement with Johnson Controls was made by Jeff Hermanson and seconded by Greg Feltman with all board members present voting in favor.
According to the agreement, “the district desires to obtain certain professional services in connection with preparing a plan for comprehensively improving its facilities and infrastructure.”
According to Grafton Superintendent of Schools Jack Maus, the study may or may not lead to a building project – that is what it will ultimately determine.
“Even if we decide to not go with a building project, the study will help us to identify how to better utilize the space we have, save energy and concerns like that,” Maus said. “It’s designed to determine the pluses and minuses in our district and where the needs are.”
Maus said, for example, there are several technology, electrical and lighting upgrades that still need to be made at Central Middle School to bring it up to standards.
The study will help determine what needs there are and whether or not it would be more cost effective to close the building.
According to the agreement, Johnson Controls will provide the plan to the district for board of education approval on or before July or August, 2013.
It is anticipated the board will officially consider the plan in 2013 unless an alternate timeline is agreed to by the parties involved.
The study in part was facilitated by the goal setting meetings that have been held twice so far during the 2012-2013 school year. The third and final goal setting meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m., at the high school library.
Building project items on the agenda to be discussed include a city/school public library, fitness center, Pre-K addition, cafeteria expansion and a middle school science lab.
Also discussed was the bus barn project at Grafton High School. It was the recommendation of the BGTTC that the project be completed for $150,000 or less.
According to the report of the latest BGTTC meeting other projects being discussed include underground sprinklers at the practice football field, repair the football/track press box, refurnish the high school gym floor and the beginning of a cycle of updating classrooms at Century Elementary. The projects would be covered in the General Fund or Building Fund for the 2013-2014 school year budget.
In other business the board
• Discussed the graduation rate study for Grafton High School. The report showed that the graduation rate for the 2012 school year was 82.54 percent, down from 82.67 percent in 2011 and 90.79 percent in 2010.
• Approved the first reading of a policy dealing with the sick leave bank for the district.
• Was informed by activities director Mike Hanson that Grafton High School’s girls’ basketball team played one more game than allowed (20) during the past regular season. Hanson said he self-reported the infraction to the North Dakota High School Activities Association. In a letter dated March 6, 2013, NDHSAA Executive Secretary Sherman Sylling notified the school that a three-part penalty will be handed out as a result.
The girls’ basketball team will forfeit its game against Larimore; Grafton High School is placed on probation through the 2013-2014 school year; and the school is required to pay a $1,000 fine to the NDHSAA.