Caledonia Argus

School board restores items to building budget

Posted: 5/21/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

The School Board of ISD #299 approved setting aside up to $910,000 to cover construction items that are costing more than their budgeted amount.

Some of these items were in the budget when the new high school middle school was first designed, but after bonding was delayed a year, some budgets were cut. Also, some of these are costs that are simply costing more than was budgeted.

The technology budget, for example, was $1 million, but was reduced to $800,000.

Tuesday nightís decision will now allow the district to spend an additional $368,400 on items in that budget. The district will now have the option of installing a CLS (Creative Learning Center) lab in the middle school, which it had originally planned to do. It will also install a number of more powerful computers that can handle CAD software for high school industrial arts classes. The purchase of the software has not been planned pending the hiring of an industrial arts teacher who can teach the program.

The school board also approved air conditioning for the entire retrofit elementary school at a cost of $350,000.

The board will spend an additional $120,000 for completion of the track and athletic fields. There was $834,000 budgeted for the project, but those funds will not be enough.

An additional $25,000 will be spent on the furniture and fixtures. Some of those costs will cover the $8,000 curtain to separate the wrestling and gymnastics practices in the alternate gym.

The board budgeted another $25,000 to acquire materials for the construction of a concessions stand and restrooms near the athletic fields.

Finally, $15,000 will be used to purchase an AV camera and cart for use in the middle school/ high school.

The funds for these items come from the $500,000 the district saved form its budget by not demolishing the current elementary school.

The district will also use part of the interest money that accumulated off of the $9 million local bond money. There is a total of $750,000 in interest money and the district plans to use about $403,000 for these projects.

Money from the interest that has not been spent, about $350,000, will be used as contingency funds for the remaining project.

There are also built-in cushions for the technology and other budgets.

Moving leader is announced

Miles Miller, former superintendent, has announced his willingness to be the lead person in the move from the current high school to the new middle school/ high school.

Shelley Jilek has volunteered to assist Miller in leading the move. Board member Barb Hurley will act as the punch-list person. This is the person who will help with a list of what needs to be moved.

Superintendent Percy Lingen will be the contact person during the project.

School technology

needs direction

Board member Chuck Schulte, who is on the technology committee, said there needs to be discussion on getting someone to synchronize the computers so that updates in programming can be effected more efficiently.

He also said there needs to be a database where every computer in the school is catalogued with information about its age and location in the school. This can be used to aid in planning future replacement of computers. Schulte said that right now, computers are replaced as they break down.

Board member Bruce Bulman expressed his concern regarding the district needing a plan for computer replacement when a model becomes obsolete in a few years.

He proposed leasing computers with the option to buy in three years.

Schulte said leasing is a way for districts to handle cash flow. He said, ìYou got to have funds and discipline to maintain the leasing program.î

Board member Dave Klinski said they could find out from the technology committee about the issues involving leasing.

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