On Thursday, January 23, 2014, the School District 166 school board picked two architects to interview to see who will be selected to design a new industrial arts complex for the school.
The estimated cost to build the 2,500-foot addition onto the existing space is $750,000, with $200,00 of that dedicated to purchasing new equipment and $450,000 dedicated to the construction. The remaining $100,000 will be used to pay architect fees and for any possible overruns in other areas.
The project will be paid for with capital project dollars provided through a Taconite Bonding Bill. Work should begin this spring, said Superintendent Beth Schwarz.
There will be a “clean room” and “dirty room” where various pieces of equipment will be placed. Welding, for instance, will be taught in the “dirty” area while laser cutting and fabrication will be taught in the “clean” area.
Students as young as third grade could be given instruction on some of the equipment, and, if a student completes enough work, by the end of their ninth grade year they would earn a certificate that would enable them to qualify for some jobs in manufacturing or in fabrication.
The two firms selected (out of four bids received) are Architectural Resources and Meyer Group. Both are from the Duluth area. The board will interview them on Feb. 6.
In other school matters:
. The School Board accepted with regrets the resignation of Paraprofessional Jack Theel. The board approved hiring three paraprofessionals, Jesse Rodne at Level 1 and Julie Bishop and Anna Brown at Level 3. Schwarz said that paras start at different levels based on their education and experience.
. Longtime Grand Marais city employee Nick Sheehan was hired as a full-time custodian.
. The board passed a motion to change the community comment period at the start of the meeting to allow them to answer questions before the school board meeting starts with the stipulation that the board may not take any formal action on topics not already on the agenda.
Both board members Jeanne Anderson and Deb White thought it would be more respectful to answer people who come before the board with questions. In the past, the board has listened but offered no comments back.
. Superintendent Schwarz said she couldn’t speak highly enough about how Head Maintenance Supervisor Tom Nelson handled the recent snow/ cold emergency days at the school. “He kept everything organized,” said Schwarz, noting that both Nelson and Elementary School Principal Gwen Carman drove replacement buses one day when other buses wouldn’t run.
. Schwarz also told the board that there has been a “significant change in the timeline,” for the board to make a decision about the proposed biomass heating plant for Grand Marais that the school has been asked to consider hooking up to.
“It will be at least eight weeks before we get a proposal from them. I am pleased we aren’t being pushed to make a decision without the appropriate information,” said Schwarz.
. A door now open between the school and the YMCA will be removed and walled off so no one can enter the school unless they use the Eagle Doors, said Schwarz. The door cannot be locked because the fire marshal won’t allow for this in the event of a fire, Schwarz said.
. Based on the large size of the current second grade class, Schwarz said a second third grade teacher would likely have to be hired for next year.
. High school Principal Adam Nelson said that for next year the board should look at adding a part-time choir or music instructor because the district right now only has Kerri Bilben to carry the whole load.
. Principal Nelson said that he is almost done with his teacher reviews and he said that there is a high interest in having a daily industrial arts program.
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