Ark Valley News - School project hits snag

School project hits snag
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: June 14, 2018

As work on the school district's buildings heats up, the Valley Center school board got a financial surprise this week, and board members weren't happy about it.

The district received a $178,451 estimate for the installation of seven heating and air-conditioning rooftop units at West Elementary that a subcontractor apparently forgot to plan for in the original bid.

“We were assuming these would be replaced," Mike Bonner, assistant superintendent, told the school board June 11. “They just missed them."

The work is part of the district's $18 million bond issue to improve aging schools. The project included classroom expansions and infrastructure upgrades.

Bonner said an engineer with Alloy Architecture mistakenly left off the additional HVAC units.

Board member Bart Balthazor said the district should ask Alloy to reduce its markup on the units.

Brad Barbour agreed.

The board voted 7-0 to approve the change order with that stipulation.

Superintendent Cory Gibson later said that bids and installation came in at $125,526 and the architect waived nearly half the cost for the oversight.

In other project news this week, the board approved spending up to $78,295 on new furniture and $23,560 on asphalt remediation at the District Stadium, where a new track and new artificial turf are being installed.

The board also accepted a bid of $49,678 from Wichita Fence Co. to install a new wooden outfield fence at the varsity baseball field.

The board received a bit of good news relating to bond issues.

The district plans to pay off the 2008 bond issue early and save about $325,000 in interest. Payments on the bond issue were set to end in 2028.

In other business June 11, the board:

•Learned that the district's assessed property valuation increased by 4.5 percent, which will affect next year's budget.

•Approved an application for a 2018-19 Perkins Grant.

•Approved the district's five-year professional development plan.

•Approved a contract with Eastgate Lanes in Newton for the new high school bowling team to use up to eight lanes for practice from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays Jan. 1 through March 1 at no cost.

•Accepted a gift of $2,000 from Cox Charities for a Green Thumb initiative and an All About Drones program at the middle school; and accepted a grant of $950 from Walmart to purchase books for the West Elementary School library.

•Approved the disposal of unused property, including a laminator, science cabinet, textbooks, athletic equipment and kitchen equipment.

•Reviewed the VCVision2020 strategic plan.

•Gave final approval to the handbook for classified employees.

•Set a special meeting for 7 p.m. June 25 to formally close out the fiscal year.

•Approved insurance renewal for property, fleet and workers compensation. The premium for property and fleet increased from $176,158 to $191,913 and the premium for workers comp decreased from $84,132 to $75,643.

•Approved a supplemental contract for Lori Fisher (para for Camp Hornet, $9.65 per hour, June 4).

•Approved the hiring of Claudia Paredes (ESOL aide at the middle school and intermediate school, $10.35 per hour, Aug. 22), Susan Brillhart (bus driver, $15.85 per hour, Aug. 17), Carrie Wiebe (social studies teacher at the middle school, $42,470, Aug. 9), Katelyn Harris (kindergarten teacher at Wheatland, $41,400, Aug. 9), Tessa Aldag (science teacher at the middle school, $41,935, Aug. 9), Sara Pound (science teacher at the high school, $48,362, Aug. 9), Danielle Morford (second-grade teacher at Abilene, $44,352, Aug. 9), Rachel Coats (English teacher at the middle school, $48,097, Aug. 9) and Rachel Maxwell (pre-kindergarten teacher at Abilene, $44,075, Aug. 9).

•Accepted resignations from Judy Smith (bus aide, May 17), Kevin Smith (bus driver, May 17), Beth Anne Dittmer (pre-kindergarten teacher at Abilene, May 21), Holly Lawrence (temporary science teacher at the intermediate school, May 21), Bailey Burgess (counselor at the middle school, May 31), Chad Baalman (science teacher at the high school, May 31), Holly Baalman (first-grade teacher at West, May 31) and Emily Snyder (social studies teacher at the middle school, June 1).

•Approved transfers for Sherri Patterson (from at-risk aide at West to Title I aide at the intermediate school, $11.35 per hour, Aug. 22), Tabitha Ciesielski (from building aide to at-risk aide at Wheatland ($12.35 per hour, Aug. 22), Janet Normandin (from at-risk aide to building aide/administrative assistant at Wheatland, $12.35/$14.40 per hour, Aug. 6), Tracy Miracle (from instructional aide to building aide at Wheatland, $12.25 per hour, Aug. 22), Barbara Oliphant (from building aide to instructional aide at Wheatland, $14.75 per hour, Aug. 22), Lorie Schaller (from fourth-grade teacher at West to third-grade teacher at West, Aug. 20), Stephanie Unruh (from second-grade teacher at Abilene to fourth-grade teacher at the intermediate school, Aug. 20) and Courtney Mayer (from third-grade teacher at West to first-grade teacher at West, Aug. 20).