Board members Monday night got a sober assessment of what needs done to maintain schools in USD 257.
Scott Stanley, director of operations, predicted cost at $4.873 million. He gave no definite timeline but made it clear that much of what he proposed needed attention within five years, some this year.
Roof replacements and repairs totaled a touch over $1 million, and included roofing on the middle school that is on the verge of disintegrating. A metal roof above the science building, which includes the cafeteria, also is on its last legs. Anytime it rains, water drips throughout the building.
Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning is the biggest ticket item.
Stanley said nearly $2.7 million should be spent to replace or upgrade the equipment, much of which has outlived its projected lifespan. Some boilers in the district, designed for 25 years of service, have been perking away for nearly 50 years.
HVAC devices attached to the high school have been in use 22 years, since the school’s remodel, and 16 years since the middle school was remodeled. Comprehensive upgrades were done at the elementary schools 12 to 14 years ago.
“We have 108 HVAC units total and 104 of them are within five years of their life expectancy, or have surpassed it,” Stanley observed.
Not all proposed improvements were to buildings.
Stanley said parking lots throughout the district begged attention and put the price tag for all at $257,000.
Another $590,000 is proposed for overhaul of drainage in Riverside Park as part of a city of Iola project. The district owns the area containing the football field and track, which at five years old needs repairs estimated at $19,900.
“The city’s portion of the drainage project is $2.5 million,” Stanley said, suggesting that it isn’t a front-burner issue for either governing body.
More maintenance proposals were replacement of seven elementary school floors and replacement and repairs to doors, entry ways and a hallway along the east side of the gymnasium in the high school. They totaled about $75,000. In the pocket-change category, Stanley said he’d like to spend $4,410 to buy 500 ceiling tiles to replace those in several schools that were damaged or stained.
“WE HAVE to invest to maintain we have,” said Board Member Deanne Burris. “We can’t just let what we have go.”
Dr. Craig Neuenswander, superintendent of schools, said nearly $570,000 would be available next year in local option budget and capital outlay funds.
“We budget $140,000 in the LOB each year for maintenance,” he said, noting that $89,000 was spent this year for roof work at Jefferson Elementary, and that capital outlay money was set aside specifically for physical improvements and equipment purchases.
Another $177,000 could be added to the capital outlay tally next year by exercising 3.5 mills of taxing authority available to the district. State law permits a capital outlay levy of as much as 8 mills; the district has levied 4.5 for several years.
“I don’t see any choice but to increase the levy,” said Board Member Buck Quincy.
That would put available funds at nearly $750,000 next school year, which starts July 1.
Another alternative would be to be seek passage of a bond issue, but didn’t draw much support.
“I don’t think we need to look at a bond issue right now,” Neuenswander said.
About $5,000 of available money was committed last night.
Stanley said extensive examination of the football field showed grass had failed to grow because of an abundance of clay and other things that inhibit its development. He proposed the expenditure for fertilizer and aeration of the soil.
Stanley gave no iron-clad guarantee, but said the field should have a thick, lush stand of grass by the first game in September.
THE MAINTENANCE report came on the heels of another review of state aid and cuts the district likely will have to make.
Neuenswander said a best-case outcome likely would leave the district with $432,609 to cut next school year.
“The House, Senate and governor all have budget proposals and I’m using the governor’s recommendation” for what the district may have to cut, he said. The Senate’s would result in slightly less, the House’s $35,000 more.
A transfer of $200,000 from the contingency reserve fund would temper whatever cuts occur, and Neuenswander said he would have recommendations — they have been hashed about for weeks — at the board’s May 2 meeting.
