VIRGiNIA- The $300,000 sports field concession stand and restroom rebuilding project at North Woods is going to cost even more, but how much more is yet to be determined.
A portion of the extra cost was known but overlooked at the board’s June working meeting. When board members approved the June bid from Max Gray Construction for $300,697, they failed to notice and act on three alternate items that were on the second page of the company’s proposal. Those options included a 50x12 concrete slab for a food trailer, a 25x15 concrete slab on the north side of the building, and replacement of the waste line from the concession building to the lift station, at a total cost of $37,395.
Those items were on the July 26 agenda, and board members approved all three. That brings the minimum expense for the repairs to $338,092. The original bid for the work submitted by Max Gray last November was $265,396.
But new ISD 2142 Director of Facilities and Grounds Mike Vieau had some more bad news for the board that came with additional dollar signs.
“I talked with Max Gray last week. They busted out the existing concrete floors inside the bathrooms, the mechanical room, and concession stand area. And in doing so, they dug down a little bit and found the water table about a foot underneath the current flooring,” Vieau said. “So, there’s going to be some additional costs to deal with that. They’re in the process of drawing up some options for us.”
Vieau said the best-case scenario for a completion timeline for the project is mid-September, although possible delays in dealing with the new issues could push that back to the end of the month. With football season in full swing in September, Vieau said the Grizzlies might need to play some additional road games to accommodate the construction.
Once finished with the discussion of the concession stand, district finance director Kim Johnson, with supporting comments from Vieau as needed, walked board members through a list of facilities maintenance projects throughout the district. Some would be funded by the district’s long-term facilities maintenance budget, others from alternative state and federal funding sources. Some projects, like the deteriorating football field at North Woods, are known to be needs but the district has yet to develop plans or specs for them.
In other business, the board:
• Approved the purchase of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt science curriculum for sixth through eighth grades at a cost of $76,043 for a six-year license.
• Approved the purchase of McGraw-Hill social studies curriculum for seventh and eighth grades at a cost of $36,083 for a seven-year subscription.
• Approved the purchase of McGraw-Hill social studies curriculum for ninth through eleventh grades at a cost of $54,625 for a seven-year subscription.
• Approved the previously discussed sale of the Cotton bus garage and access parcels.
• Awarded propane bids for North Woods and Northeast Range to Como Oil and Propane for $1.536 per gallon.
• Accepted the minimum bid of $10,900 from Gary Martinson for Lots 21-24 in Art’s Addition in Cook.
• Approved a purchase of service agreement to transport children and youth in foster care to preserve school placements whenever feasible in the event of relocation.
• Hired Makenzie Sokoloski as a full-time elementary teacher at North Woods.
• Hired Elizabeth Oberstar as a full-time elementary special education teacher at North Woods.
• Hired Dawn Poppema and Jani Jordan as part-time preschool teacher assistants at Tower-Soudan, and Becky Smith and Laura Hauta to similar positions at North Woods.
• Hired Jeff Poppema as part-time library assistant and bus driver and Heather Anderson as part-time paraprofessional, both at Tower-Soudan.
• Hired Jessica Plassmeyer as full-time nutrition employee at Tower-Soudan.
• At Northeast Range, hired Jennifer Pallin as nutrition manager, Sena Bissonette as site secretary, and Julie Smith as part-time nutrition employee.
• Approved fall sports coaches at North Woods, including head football coach Joel Anderson and assistants Mark Fabish and Dan Reing, head volleyball coach Kandi Olson and assistants Kaileen Redmond and Becky Lappi, and cross country assistant coach Dan Squires.
• Approved the retirements of North Woods Title I teacher Nathan LeBeque, NER nutrition manager Cheryl Nelson, and Tower-Soudan bus driver Donald Doroff.