Glenwood City school board approves nearly $300,000 in storm-damage related repairs
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GLENWOOD CITY — The Glenwood City Board of Education approved expenditures of nearly $300,000 to repair the damage done to the district’s buildings and facilities by straight line winds during the July 19 storm that hit the area.
The funds were approved during the Board’s regular session held this past Monday evening, September 11.
The expenditures include $5,000 to Market and Johnson, the general contractor of the district’s recently completed CTE renovation project, for initial repairs it made to the badly-damaged elementary gym roof in the days following the storm; $6,250 to fix damage to the outdoor press box located at the football/track complex; nearly $30,000 to replace and/or repair the baseball and softball fencing with another $7,800 to replace the windscreens that attach to the baseball and softball outfield fencing; and $10,000 to replace a large wooden-framed Pella window (not storm related) located in the high school art room that is rotting and allowing air infiltration with a new, completely-sealed, inoperable aluminum window.
Many of these repairs have been or will be started and completed this fall.
But, far and away, the most expensive fixes on the repair list, developed by district administrator Patrick Olson, were the gym floors in the elementary and high school which were damaged when water infiltrated during the storm. To replace a 12 foot by 28 foot section in the high school will cost $41,500. Unfortunately, the entire elementary gym floor will need replacement to the tune of $179,676. Both floors will be done during next summer’s break.
“Approximately 66 percent of the elementary gym floor was damaged,” Olson, who was home-bound with an illness, told the board via Zoom.
“This was a scrap floor, meaning pieces of recycled wooden were cut and laid down directly onto the concrete below,” Olson added.
This, according to Olson, has not allowed for moisture that could possibly collect under the flooring to evaporate.
With insurance covering nearly 100 percent of the approved repairs, the district’s expenditures will be reimbursed.
The monies approved to make the aforementioned repairs at Monday’s meeting are just a few of the items on a punch list that is nearly three pages long and seems to be growing.
Many issues and deficiencies in building infrastructure and regular maintenance have been uncovered during the multitude of inspections following the storm.
Last month, the board also approved an insurance-back expenditure of $137,250 to replace the elementary roof that was severely damaged in the July storm.
The district has already repaired damage to the football scoreboard ($1,327.50), an elementary security panel ($2,368.29), and installed a new relief hood ($3,965).
Olson also asked for, and received, approval to spend $8,260 for a facility assessment by Wold Architects and Engineers, the same firm that designed the CTE remodel. Wold will also provide the district with long-range planning services, which is usually around $15,000 for a school district of Glenwood City’s size, at no cost. The caveat is, if the school district were to decide to hire another firm other than Wold to implement the work described in the long-range plan, Wold would then seek reimbursement of $15,000 to recoup some of the costs incurred in the planning efforts.
On the repair outline, Olson noted that four of the district’s boilers are leaking and one has not apparently worked in some time. Estimated repairs could run the district nearly $55,000 with another $25,000 needed for roof equipment repairs beyond the annual $23,000 maintenance agreement the district has with North American Mechanical, Inc. (NAMI).
Recent inspections have also revealed several areas of roofing that are in dire need of repair or replacement said Olson. He identified the roofing area above the front entrance of the high school and the former tech and Ag classroom as the most in need of replacement along with the high school office roof which used a new product when it was built in 2014 that has now been identified as ineffective and has lead to several lawsuits.
Olson also told members that he is continuing to work on the map of identified storage areas. He is hoping to utilize current building spaces to house community education as well as Hilltopper Hangtime and Tiny Toppers programs without having to build another freestanding structure, as was discussed by the previous administration.
In other business matters, Erin Spaeth, director of student services, reported that 18.73 percent of district students are receiving some form of special educational services which is higher than the state average.
During her report to the board, high school/middle school principal Marcy Burch noted that while the middle school population declined by three students this year, the high school enrollment increased from 192 students a year ago to 206 currently.
In personnel matters, the board approved the hiring of Bonnie Barker as school psychologist, Ann Borgenheimer as a long-term substitute for second grade, and Tom Majerus for the full-time custodial and grounds position.
Discussions about making changes to the school board’s 2023-24 calendar were held during the committee meeting as were updates to the student fundraising policy.
Finally, School Board vice-president Chuck Draxler was honored with a pair of awards. Draxler received a Wisconsin Music Educators Association’s (WMEA) Distinguished School Board Members Award and reached Level 2 in the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) Recognition Program.
The next meeting of the Glenwood City School District Board of Education will be held on Monday, September 25 with Committee Meeting at 5:45 p.m., and the regular school board meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. All school board meeting are open to the public and district residents are encouraged to attend.