Board approves bid-letting for summer projects
School calendar proposed for 2008-09
By Bobbi Mlynar
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The Emporia Board of Education unanimously approved a bid for roof repairs at Emporia High School and the letting of bids for summer projects during a meeting Wednesday at the Mary Herbert Learning Center.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Susan Hernandez presented a review of the capital outlay committee report, which contained details of capital outlay projects that already have been approved and several that are pending.
George Groh and Sons of Emporia was awarded the contract to repair the EHS roof for a total of $69,337, which combines the original repair area with a smaller adjacent roofing need. Groh was the low bidder.
The board also approved letting bids for summer projects, including removal of asbestos under William Allen White school at an estimated cost of $45,000; removal of carpet from gymnasium walls, and repair of those walls, at WAW at an estimated cost of $25,000; installation of air conditioning in the Emporia Middle School locker room at an estimated cost of $35,000; and repair and resurfacing gymnasium floors at Lowther North and South Intermediate Schools at an estimated cost of $28,000.
Hernandez told the board that asbestos under WAW school is contained and not threatening to students and staff. However, because of its location, it causes problems for people working with steam leaks in pipes at the school. The response time in getting a certified removal contractor to the building is about 48 hours.
If a steam leak occurred during winter, Hernandez said the building might have to be shut down and pipes could freeze.
“This is a preventive maintenance response to circumvent potential problems,” Hernandez wrote in an overview of the report.
The board voted to discontinue affiliation with the North Central Accreditation group for grades kindergarten through eighth grade.
George Abel, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said that because of the No Child Left Behind Act, NCA’s Quality Performance Accreditation no longer meets the needs of the district and lacks the flexibility to implement the school improvement plan the district has submitted to the state department of education.
All schools now have to work within the Federal Model, he said, and accreditation comes in one-year increments, rather than the five-year re-accreditations of NCA.
“Every school in the state is going to be accredited using the Federal Model,” he said.
The board heard a report from M. Teresa Davidson, representing the district’s calendar committee. Davidson is assistant superintendent of personnel.
After gathering information from parents and staff, the committee recommended beginning the 2008-09 school year on Aug. 11 for students. Teachers would begin on Aug. 4, with a week of workdays and in-service/collaboration days.
The calendar also recommended three days off beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and a two-week winter break beginning Dec. 1 and ending for students on Jan. 5, when classes would resume. Teachers would have a workday on Jan. 2.
The last day of school would be on May 21st for students and on May 22nd for teachers, barring snow make-up days. Those would be added at the end of school, if necessary. Early-release days were eliminated, as they are for the 2007-08 school year.
The board also approved renewal of three-year audit contract with Lowenthal, Singleton, Webb and Wilson. Hernandez recommended the board consider adopting a policy of requiring bid-letting for the contract at least once every nine years.