Enderlin Area School Board... Board votes to purchase new bus; gym finally ready
At their Tuesday, Decem-ber 9 meeting, the Enderlin Area School Board heard the pros and cons of the different bids received for the purchase of a new school bus. The bids received from Hartley Bus Sales, Harlow, and Trucks of Bismarck had been previously opened and reviewed by a committee. The evening of the meeting they also took a test drive of one of the buses.
Following discussion, it was decided to purchase the stock bus 54 passenger BlueBird bus with large seat spacing for $69,950. The school will receive $1,950 for a trade-in bus.
Superintendent Pat Feist reported that the gymnasium floor has been completed and would be used Monday evening, December 15th for the winter concert. They will put on the floor cover for this event. Feist said that his only concern was moving the piano across the floor.
Feist also reported that Moore Engineering engineer Tracy Eslinger submitted his preliminary report. Feist said that Jon Sanstead, school attorney, said that he had been in communication with the Fire and Tornado Fund (F&TF) regarding the appointment of Eslinger as the school’s engineer. He said F&TF were concerned that Moore Engineering is a civil engineering firm and does not handle structural engineering work. Eslinger told Feist that Moore Engineering does not specialize in structural engineering. F&TF provided Feist with a list of engineering firms located in the Fargo/Moorhead area that do specialize in structural problems.
In discussion, the school board were interested in hiring a firm that not only deal with structural problems but also are expert in Geo Technology, mechanical and civil engineering.
After a lengthy discussion, Feist recommended that the board meet with their attorney, Sanstead, and relay all of the board’s concerns. The board advised Feist to attempt to hire the firm of Houston Engineering as the common firm, if this selection is also favored by Sanstead.
Feist told the board that he had not yet received an itemized billing from Roughrider Building Systems for the work that they did on the parking lot and behind the school. He also had not received an estimate for the cover for the stairway on the south side of the building.
Feist said that Curt Plath of DC Electric looked over the automatic dialer needs and submitted a bid of $3,300. Plath said the dialers would work for the fire alarm, walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer, but would not be practical for the return pumps when the furnaces are switched in off-peak occasions. DC’s bid was not itemized. Other bids are also being solicited.
The board was provided with 2009-2010 calendars. Feist told them that he had discussed the start date with the faculty and a variety of opinions were gathered. It was supposed that as few as ten students would be gone for the Ransom County Fair, or as many as twenty-four. Teachers also discussed and recommended that the school have one evening of parent-teacher conferences for six hours in the fall and spring.
Athletic events begin before Enderlin has started school in the past. Games are scheduled on the Friday and Saturday that the Fair would be operating and would probably draw away from Fair Attendance. It was decided to contact the Fair Board about
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changing the Fair’s dates. The school board realized that it was too late for any date changes for the 2009 season.
Rick Gillund made a motion to have the first day of school on August 31, after the Fair, it was seconded by Leo Bartholomay and passed by the entire board.
Mrs. Cathie Lutgen and two members of the One Act Play attended the meeting to thank the board for supporting their programs. The students, Dillon Hartl and Jacob Clauson shared their experiences. Lutgen told the board that Dillon and the team had received Superiors.
Feist told the board that Shannon Galbreath had been hired as the school’s Title I paraprofessional. Also hired was Barb Stangler to substitute for Kaye Green. Marilyn Miller will replace Stangler as a dishwasher in the lunchroom. The need for South Valley Special Education to hire a replacement paraprofessional to replace Michelle Parsons who has resigned in the near future.
Feist shared with the board concerning the reorganizing of the South Valley Special Education Unit with Rural Cass Special Education. He also told the board that he had attended the Commission on Education meeting in Bismarck. He provided the board with a North Dakota curriculum requirements for graduation that was discussed at the meeting. There were five categories for graduation, the current one requiring 21-22 credits, a Merit Diploma requiring a minimum of 22 units, a Merit Diploma with Technical Honors requiring a minimum of 24 units, a Merit Diploma with Academic Honors requiring 24 units, and a General High School Diploma requiring 21 units.
Board chairman, Cyndee Chesley, thanked the board members for their superintendent evaluations. She said she had met with Superintendent Feist and went over the evaluations. Overall the evaluations were very good.
The board heard reports from the school’s two principals, Brian Midthun and Tim Michaelson, and gave overviews of their experiences at the school board convention.