Committee recommends accepting project bids
By Jane Myhra
Summer projects for the Iola-Scandinavia School District were discussed by the Buildings and Grounds Committee on Monday, Feb. 27.
The proposed summer projects include $9,059 bid to upgrade playground equipment “so we don’t have exposed metal and everything is up to code,” said Business Manager Sarah Thiel.
The upgrade is for the playground located on the west side of the elementary building.
Committee member Mike Koles asked that the upgrade be reconsidered.
“If we were to choose to put a tennis court (in that location), we would need to move the playground to the east,” he said.
This proposed site for the tennis courts has not been discussed with the Iola Tennis Group, said School Board President Kristen Hoyord, who was in attendance as an observer.
It was also the first time others in attendance had heard about the proposed site, including High/Middle School Principal Sara Anderson and Facilities Director Jim Spencer.
Spencer said there could be some problems putting the tennis courts in that spot because of a ditch and drainage issues.
“I think the community wanted (the tennis courts) close to the fitness center,” Hoyord explained.
“You would be taking green space away from the kids,” Anderson objected. She said the space was needed by the fourth through sixth graders.
The committee then agreed to recommend that the I-S School Board accept the $9,059 bid from GameTime to upgrade the playground equipment.
The committee also agreed to recommend that the board accept the $8,271 bid from Esser Glass to replace the entrance doors in the third-grade wing of the elementary building, and a $3,500 bid from Shoemaker to replace the furnace in the bus garage.
The committee did not agree to recommend any of the bids to remove the house from the recently acquired Krause property.
Although they had received bids from Bestul Excavating and Lashua Excavating, Koles said the committee should check into other options to lower the cost of removing the structure.
The committee also looked at several bids for replacing the roof over the science and art areas of the high school. Thiel and Spencer recommended that the committee choose the $129,249 bid from Commercial Roofing.
They also suggested that the committee consider replacing the entire high school roof for an estimated $330,000.
“So we don’t have to ask the community for more money later,” Thiel said.
She noted the science and art roof replacement project was coming in much lower than the $300,000 that was budgeted in the referendum.
According to Thiel, the larger project would include the main portion of the high school roof, which was installed in 1993. It would not include the band room section, which was added in 2000.
Anderson said there are a lot of roof leaks at the high school and a new roof would take care of these issues.
Hoyord agreed that it would be a good idea to replace the high school roof.
“We’re setting ourselves up for issues if we don’t,” she said.
Koles requested that a lower cost be negotiated before recommending the roof bid to the school board on March 13.
Committee Chair Ken Wavruk suggested that a spreadsheet be developed and posted on the school website so the public can watch the progress associated with the referendum projects.
“It would be nice to graphically share something,” he said. “So the public can see we are keeping a tight budget.”
School sign project
The committee agreed to recommend that the school board accept the $21,849 bid from TLC for a new digital sign. It was noted that TLC Sign is a local company, with offices in Kimberly and Weyauwega.
The estimated bid includes Daktronics electronic message center, four-foot deep solid concrete foundation, spit face block sign base, double-sided illuminated ID cabinet with white LEDs, with a five-year warranty.
The proposed design is for an 8-foot, 10-inch high and 7-foot, 10-inch wide sign with a 3-foot, 10-inch high base.
“We are kind of limited on options and we have to have a sign,” Wavruk said.
The committee acknowledged that $17,000 has been committed in donations and insurance for the new sign.
EMC Insurance reimbursed the school district $2,500 for the loss of the old sign due to wind damage. The insurance company will pay another $2,500 after installation of a new sign, for a total of $5,000.
Community donations towards the school sign project include: $7,500 from Krause Foundation; $2,000 from the family of Chester Krause; and $2,500 from the Iola Lioness Club. It was noted that another $4,800 is needed to fund the sign and that the Iola Lions Club had expressed interest in donating towards the project.
Koles was concerned that school district policy is not specific as to what can be shown on the sign. He also questioned if the donor names could be included on the base.
According to information provided at the meeting, the Lioness have requested that the sign include civic and community events related to the school. Also, other donors have asked to have their names included to acknowledge their donations.
“We don’t have a policy yet, so we can’t make any promises we can’t keep,” Koles said.
Thiel agreed to check if the policies need to be revised.