USD 367 Board Talks Capital Improvements

By Jeff Gulley

With budget uncertainty looming again, the USD 367 Board of Education spent time during Thursday’s meeting looking toward future capital improvement needs and the costs.

The board crossed one item off a list of proposed four-year capital projects by voting to accept a bid of $16,290 to fix roofing areas over three entrances to the school. Superintendent Gary French showed the board pictures of the damage that water is causing on the brick walls of the high school. The canopies above the front entrance, the gym entrance and the auditorium entrance will be fixed with this bid.

The board then reviewed a list of capital improvement projects that was created by school administrators.

One item discussed by French was a new scoreboard and bleachers at Lynn Dickey Field.

French told the board that the current scoreboard has electrical problems that can not be fixed. He said the school could look at sponsorships for a new score board that is estimated to cost around $12,000.

He also talked to the board about adding bleachers to the north side on the football field.

“Ideally we would like our students to be in the stands and the visiting team’s fans and cheerleaders on the other side on the field,” French said.

The cost for new bleachers was listed at $50,000.

Some of the other capital improvements proposed include new administration software, updating bathrooms outside the high school gym, new doors at the high school, heating and air units at the middle school and roofing and walls at Trojan Elementary.

French asked the board to review the list and bring suggestions back to the next meeting.

In other news the board:

• Heard from auditor Harold Mayes of Agler and Gaeddert who gave the district a clean audit report with no deficiencies.

• Received a gifts and grants update. The district has received $33,457.94 in gifts and grants this year including $10,445.38 from First Option Bank through their check card program.

• Discussed the 2011-2012 budget projections from the state. French told the board there are a lot of numbers being floated around including a projection by the Kansas Legislative Research Department that said that Kansas may face a $492 million shortfall next year.

• Will discuss a campus-wide smoking ban at all schools at its December meeting.

• Received word that Charles Baker asked not to be considered for debate and forensics coach next year.

• Hired Colleen Medina as assistant middle school girls’ basketball coach.

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Posted by admin on Nov 17 2010. Filed under News and Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry