Published: March 10, 2006 10:59 am            

Central board votes to wait on Ekstrand

DEWITT — “There is a clear consensus that people don’t want us to add on to Ekstrand (Elementary) if we don’t have to,” Central Community School Board member Jim Irwin said Wednesday at the board’s regular meeting.

Discussion centered on directions from the 5-year planning committee to address the district’s facilities needs. In the wake of overcrowding at Ekstrand, the committee proposed three options: A new attendance center, moving the fifth grade to the middle school or “sitting tight” and continuing to look at enrollment and re-addressing the issue.

With kindergarten enrollment projected to go up another 11 students next year, Superintendent Carol Hansen said the space issues are not going to go away and the district cannot sit back and wait too long.

“Sitting tight might be OK in terms of not acting,” board member Larry Burken said, but the board must be thinking ahead and laying the groundwork for future work.

Hansen suggested and the board agreed to go through the budget process scheduled for Wednesday, look at capital projects and then meet at the end of the school year to discuss where the district should be in terms of facilities.

With this decision to delay construction at Ekstrand at a projected cost of $1.4 million, the board took another look at its Phase I and Phase IA construction plans for work at Central DeWitt High School. Steve Zyblicki of Frevert, Ramsey, Kobes Architects Engineers P.C. of West Des Moines presented the schematic design and design development for both phases.

The design of Phase I, which previously had been given the go-ahead, was approved. It includes five high school classrooms, including science, computer, at-risk, bathroom accommodations and a 3,800-square-foot weight/wellness addition at a cost of $2.15 million.

Phase IA would add $800,000 to the cost and would construct a vocal music addition and connecting corridors. With the construction delay at Ekstrand the board could move forward with this part of the project and set the stage for Phase 2, which renovates existing vocal music space into cafeteria space, Hansen said.

The entire construction cost would be paid through local option sales tax money. As of June 2006, estimated sales tax revenue is $2.6 million with an additional available amount of $600,000 estimated for June 2007. Total revenue is estimated at $3.2 million and total cost of Phase I and Phase IA is estimated at $3.2 million, Hansen said.

The board subsequently approved the design and construction of Phase IA.

A thorny issue to build new student and faculty parking lots surfaced and after lengthy commentary was tabled until the April meeting. The new high school construction will cause loss of current spaces, Hansen said, recommending an addition of 32 faculty spaces on the north side of the high school. Another 200 student spaces could be added by reconfiguring the existing tennis courts and using the area south of the courts.

Hansen said the tennis courts are little-used and this would provide needed permanent parking. Safety for students is a priority, she said, and this would enhance the public perception of the district, which sometimes is damaged by no available parking or the necessity to walk great distances to school events. It also would increase handicapped spaces, a definite need.

“From a day-to-day use” and for activities the increase in parking spots would be a huge improvement, Athletic Director Brent Cook said. High School Principal Brad Oates concurred.

Board members Kurt Rickard and Irwin questioned tearing out tennis courts after recent renovations, and Rickard noted the cultural aspect and community benefit of the courts.

“It doesn’t make sense to tear out an expensive tennis court for parking lots,” he said.

Cost of the proposed project is $110,000 with about $11,000 to include the tennis courts.

The board set April 12 as the date for a public hearing to sell 1.213 acres of ground at the Welton Elementary site. The ground, formerly called Mid-Park, housed students in trailers but has not been used for many years. Welton school was closed last spring.

The resignations of Ekstrand personnel, retiring teacher Myrna Hass, retiring custodian John Sievers, part-time physical education teacher Brandon Schmitz and teacher associate Teri Hazen, were accepted. Middle school teacher Emily Speltz also resigned. Ashley Baxter was hired as assistant ninth-grade softball coach at $1,767.

The board approved the following: Vocational education advisory committees membership, a cooperative sports agreement with Calamus-Wheatland schools for football and soccer, a cooperative sports agreement with Clinton schools for girls swimming and diving, the final adoption of the Good Conduct Code, the first reading of the revised 500 policy series and a change of the regular August board meeting to Aug. 2 at the Grand Mound Community Center.

The board also approved a modified allowable growth request to the School Budget Review Committee. The $242,279 request is covered by current cash reserve funds and will permit adequately funding the budget and serving students efficiently.

        

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