Despite a recent bout of cold weather, the new intermediate school in Seneca is taking shape.
Pre-cast walls forming the FEMA shelter part of the structure are in place and 85 percent of the load-bearing walls in the classroom section of the intermediate school are up.
Architect Kyle Denham gave Seneca R-7 school board members a construction update during its regular meeting Thursday night.
“All things considered, I think it has been a very productive month since we last met,” Denham said.
More slab went in Friday at the intermediate school. During the cold snap, workers draped tarps over poured concrete and used heaters to help the concrete cure. Masons have been heating water and their materials and under a plastic tented area brickwork has started on an eastern accent portion. This week, Denham expects contractors to pour the slab in the office areas of the intermediate school.
At the high school, the slab will follow the pre-cast that is scheduled start arriving today. The original plan called for the crane that drops the pre-cast pieces in place to move from the intermediate to the high school. The company supplying the pre-cast units had a fire at its Kansas City location, but the company stepped up production at another location and are covering the additional transportation costs.
Base rock was added to turns used by the big trucks, but the contractor will bring in a landscaping crew to correct the corners after the heavy equipment is gone.
The project had 35 weather days built in and contractors have used 36 so far. Aug. 6 was the original contract completion date, but due to additional dirt work, that date was moved to Aug. 15. School starts Aug. 19. The district plans to start classes in its new buildings and will work with contractors to begin setting up completed areas as soon as possible.
Although it have added a few features – drinking fountains, gymnasium wall mats with the Seneca logo and a mop sink – the district has come out with $120,435 in net deductions on change orders. A school board construction committee meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Additions
Board members discussed the price of bleachers for the high school. Bleachers were as an alternate in the original bid. A plan submitted by the contractor calls for an estimated 1,290 seats. Some of the rows will have 30-inches of leg room and upper seats will have 26-inches. The contractor also added a higher rise per level in the upper seats to improve the line of sight. The retractable bleachers would cost approximately $115,000 with the modifications. The new high school gymnasium will also have a fold up volleyball net and six fold up basketball goals.
An interior designer will prepare color boards, but board members asked if a committee of teachers could be formed to collect input.
Budget update
Superintendent Rick Cook reviewed budget information, including some postponed improvements with the board.
The board approved the 2010-2011 school calendar. There will be no spring break next year, but a long weekend from Thursday to Monday over Easter weekend. They discussed the possibility of releasing students at 2:20 p.m. every Friday during next school year so teachers can work on curriculum. The state requires students to be in school for 1,044 hours and 174 school days, but the district is well over in hours.
Sunday practices
Church members have expressed a concern about Sunday activities and practices. While discussion centered on how the district attempts to keep scheduling clear during Sunday and Wednesday service times, sometimes exceptions are made. Currently, there is only one gym and some youth wrestling practices are held Sunday afternoons because of scheduling.
Board member Joe Caputo said he would not be in favor of a policy barring the district from any activities on Sundays because exceptions would crop up – especially in playoff season.
“I’d hate to set a policy that’s we’d have to break sometime,” Caputo said.
“I’m not for the Sunday practices either, but I can see why they’d have to happen,” said Teryl Malone.
No policy was said, but Cook said the district would try to protect those times if possible.
Sidewalks
Cook asked board members for approval to seek grant funding for sidewalks leading to the schools. If there were sidewalks, Cook noted, children could walk to school without being in the street. And if there were sidewalks, the district could drop two buses for children living within a mile of the school at a savings of $28,000 a year or more. Approximately 80 children live within the affected area.
Board members were disinterested in the idea.
“I don’t think it’s our responsibility to build sidewalks for the community,” said Harold DeVoe.
Cook said there is no imminent plan to discontinue any bus routes.
“Sidewalks would have to be provided before we could even go there,” he said.
Drug testing
Student drug testing policy was discussed again with board member Britt Burr asking about reasonable suspicion testing.
“Who defines ‘suspicious?’” Burr asked.
The high school drug test 10 randomly chose students monthly. If the students test positive, they are banned from all extracurricular activities for six weeks, then retested. High school Principal Tosha Fox assured the board that policy or not, in the rare case that a student is tested at the school for suspicion it would be well documented. When a student comes to school under the influence of drugs, she added, there is a firm policy.
“I call the parent and I say, ‘Take them to a medical care facility and get a drug screening,” Fox said.
The parents return with the test results and appropriate discipline is determined, Fox said.
Upcoming election
There are two seats and five candidates for Seneca R-7 School Board in the upcoming election: incumbent Harold DeVoe, Randy Spaulding, David Pickering, Richard Rawlings and Roger Robertson. All attended Thursday’s meeting. Both DeVoe’s and school board president Bill Lant’s seats are up for election. Lant is running for state representative in the 131st district.
