Caledonia Argus

School board passes Health/Safety Resolution

Posted: 11/19/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

The ISD #299 school board passed the Health and Safety Replacement Resolution at a meeting on November 18 at the Crooked Creek Community Center. The resolution guarantees that the school board will not impose the 2002 health and safety levy if the operating levy is passed by voters on December 17.

The board had informally agreed earlier this year not to impose the health and safety levy if the operating levy passed, but decided that passing the resolution was necessary in order to assure the public that the boardís initial stance on this matter had been sincere. Comments from board members on Monday night indicated that passing the resolution would dispel any public suspicion that the board might renege on their promise.

ìThereís a rumor on the street that even if the operating levy passes, weíll still impose the health and safety levy,î Chuck Schulte said. Passing the resolution, he noted, will ìgive the community some level of comfort.î

ìWhat this resolution is saying is that weíre not going to double dip,î Cheryl Whitesitt added.

The board voted unanimously to pass the resolution.

Construction update

Also at Monday nightís meeting, Ken Cote' of Kraus-Anderson updated the board on the status of construction at the new middle/high school. Of great importance, he said, are the steps that have been taken to reduce noise coming into the new auditorium via the ventilation system.

ìThereís good news about the auditorium,î Cote' said. A short-term solution had been devised for events in the near futureñ the ventilation can be turned off during events such as playsñ and a long-term solution is in the works.

ìWeíre trying to troubleshoot what would be the best way to reduce the noise,î Cote' commented. ìBasically weíre waiting for some engineering solutions; weíll have something accomplished by the end of the year.î

Cote' also mentioned that Esch Drive and the accompanying bituminous path have been completed. The press box on the athletic field has been installed, and installment of the fencing around the ballfield began Monday; it is expected to take 2-3 weeks to complete. The goal posts on the main field have been laid in cement, and goal posts for the practice fields were scheduled for installation on Tuesday, November 19. Weather permitting, the ballfields will be seeded in the coming weeks; a snowfall in the near future will preclude this, in which case the fields will be seeded in the spring.

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