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Manawa School Board finalizes auction plans

he Manawa School Board finalized auction plans for the contents stored in the old elementary school.

The auction is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 31 at the former Manawa Elementary School. Inspection of items will begin at 8 a.m., with the auction getting underway at 9 a.m.

At the Building and Grounds Committee meeting on March 7, there was a lot of discussion as to whether doors, sinks, toilets and light fixtures should be sold at the auction in addition to the moveable contents of the building.

At the committee level it was decided to bring the issue in front of the entire school board for discussion.

The discussion with the full school board the discussion centered on whether the building would be used again in the future.

School board member Carl Artz said the fate of the building was determined when it was decided to turn off the heat this winter and sell the building contents.

“The train is already rolling down the tracks,” said Artz.

Kurt Kreklow, school board president, said if more than just the contents are sold the future of the building is going to be determined and there will be no going back.

Paul Sturm said that the building just needs to remaining structurally sound after the auction, and recommended selling “as much as possible and get what we can for it.”

Duane Braun, Manawa Little Wolf High School principal, pointed out that what isn’t sold at auction would have to be hauled to the landfill when the building is eventually razed. That will be at a cost to the school district.

The board eventually agreed that anything in the building can be sold at the auction as long as the building remains structurally sound.

In other business, the school board unanimously approved purchasing Math Expressions for grades 4 through 6 at a cost of roughly $9,890.

It also approved the District’s Technology Purchase Plan to include the telephone system from Manawa Telephone Company and infrastructure components from CDW-G not to exceed a cost of $90,000 with a contingency fund of $10,000. This project originally started as an $180,000 project.

The junior class requested the school board allow them to move the prom location to the Masonic Lodge. Class representatives said it would save the class money, because less would have to be spent on decorations. It would also allow decorating to start earlier and post-prom, which would still be at the high school, could be set up sooner.

Kreklow expressed reservations because the district would lose some control of the event since it would not be held on school grounds. He also asked who would pay for any damage that may occur at the Masonic Lodge.

The junior class representatives said the class would pay for any damage, at which point, Kreklow said if the cost of the damage is too high, ultimately the district is responsible to cover the cost.

The board asked the district administration for its opinion.

“If students have banded together, we need to give them the opportunity,” said Ed Dombrowski, district administrator. “If they mess up, they have nobody to blame but themselves.”

The motion passed 6-1 in favor of letting the junior class hold prom at the Masonic Lodge. Kreklow voted no.

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