The Garretson school board meeting was a relatively short and efficient for their Jan. 13th meeting.
The main topics of discussion were the accepting of bids for the upcoming projects this summer and discussion about the new food service at the school.
It started with the regular and financial business of the consent agenda. Superintendent Guy Johnson made special note of the payroll, noting that teacher Andrew Terwee’s payroll is increasing because continuing education has caused him to move up a payroll step. Supt. Johnson expressed satisfaction in Terwee’s overall job performance.
The bills paid and the financial payments approved, the board moved on to old business, of which there was none. Straight into new business, Supt. Johnson reported that 7 companies provided bids to the most recently advertised chiller replacement. Of the 7 companies who sent bids, Supt. Johnson and the engineer the school hired had a recommendation to the board as to which they should pick.
The lowest base bid was $301,050 for the chiller replacement from Krier & Blaine Inc. This was significantly lower than estimated. This was good, as other bids that were as received were {potentially} higher. This will also change the controls of the heating/cooling system building-wide.
One of the alternate plans, was to replace the school’s largest boiler with a more fuel-efficient model, as they have made several repairs to the unit over the last few years. However, it is functioning well currently, and the fuel efficiency to be gained wasn’t as significant. Board president Nordstrom compared it to buying a new car vs. a used car. This model they have now is older, not as fuel efficient but it also has been noted for its longevity and ease of repair. Admittedly a gamble, but he, Supt. Johnson and their engineer were willing to wager that the current boiler should last a good while longer, maybe five years or mpre. So instead, the recommendation made to the board was to adopt alternate #2 which would replace all of the lights, building wide, with LED lights.
This will have a higher upfront cost, but the savings in energy utilities would be significant. The higher upfront cost is due to the cost of labor required, rather than the cost of lighting, as the cost of materials has gone down. Since the bid came in lower than expected for the chiller replacement, there would be enough money to do this buildingwide LED light replacement.
These new lights would also come with a 5-year warranty and be easier to work on than the current ballast and bulb system that is used through most of the building.
The board agreed this was the way to go.
Next the board reviewed and approved some policy items; job descriptions for the Administrative Assistant to the Business Manager, Superintendent, & Activities Director, with language amendments made by Board Member Ruth Sarar, regarding at-will employment status, Study Hall Supervisor/MS & HS Attendance Coordinator.
Next came the Administrative reports. Supt. Johnson gave a report to the board regarding the new food service provider, Thrive Nutrition Services Inc. Like the last time the school switched providers, there were some hiccups and some initial complaints but generally things seem to be going well. Principals Theresa Hulscher and Chris Long also spoke about it, Hulscher commenting that breakfasts have never been more popular.
The board then set a date and agenda for the board retreat on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Supt. Johnson also updated the board on the status of the roofing project, letting the board know that Guarantee Roofing did a “pull out test” to make sure the current roof of the gym is strong enough for the new roof renovation and insulation to be placed using a machinated process. He and board member Sarar also reported on the status of the Prarie Lakes Coop. The coop voted to eliminate their Perkins program participation, meaning that each school will have to individually decide on how they will be moving forward in the near future.
The board went into executive session from 6:33 to 7:55 to discuss a personnel matter. No actions were taken after the executive session aside from adjournment at 7:56.
