Board sets date for Mapleleaf lighting project public hearing

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

The Mt. Pleasant Community School District is working towards bringing a brighter, better lighting system to the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.

Interim Superintendent Dr. John Roederer said the district would be looking at three possible projects within the next year; two of those projects would include the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.

The first project coming before the board is a lighting project at Mapleleaf. Scot Lamm, activity director at Mt. Pleasant spoke to the board last month on behalf of the Mt. Pleasant Athletic Boosters about updating the 1979 lighting system at the complex. During the May board meeting, Lamm said the lighting levels at Mapleleaf were measuring at 25, the new lighting system would average 50.

The Mt. Pleasant Athletic Boosters had received quotes from Musco Lighting and a local electrician for the project, but with the district?s involvement, Attorney Mike Vance said the entire project would need to be put out for bid.

Before being able to move forward with the project full-steam, the school board would have to hold a public hearing on the matter. ?You cannot affirm or enter a contract until after you have had a public hearing, have considered all of the comments and decide you want to continue on with the project,? advised Vance, adding that the district could stop this process and project at any time.

Vance continued saying that on a bidding project the district is required to have an architect or engineer sign off on the project. The district believed the architect would be ready to go Monday night, but unfortunately they needed more time.

In order to keep the project moving, the board agreed to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, June 15, at 3:30 p.m., at Central Office to receive the architect?s plans.

The district will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 21, at 6 p.m., at Central Office regarding the project.

?I know in the past we?ve talked about how Mapleleaf has been great for the community, the community has a lot of pride in that. But with that being said, we need to start taking a little better care of Mapleleaf,? said Roederer of the project.

The second Mapleleaf project that will likely come before the board in the next year, Roederer said, will be paving the parking lot. Roederer said the city is looking to do some work on Mapleleaf, which would include paving the parking lot. ?The school district may have an opportunity next year to partner with the city and Federal government to get the parking lot paved,? said Roederer. ?It?s a little over a million dollar project? and the district may be able to get that paved for $200,000.?

As for the paving of Mapleleaf, School Board President David McCoid reiterated that the district has not gone into any negotiations with the city as to payment in any amount for the project. ?Figures have been thrown around, but it may not be anywhere close to what it actually is,? said McCoid. ?We have made no commitment on that project.?

The third project, and the one Roederer designated as the most important was air-conditioning the elementary schools.

?With that said, we have three projects that the community could take pride in,? he said.

Roederer added that next year the district would have paid off the mortgage on the high school and would be debt free.

During the meeting, the board also heard a report from Pat Shire, interim director of instruction. Shire introduced his successor, Katie Gavin, before giving a brief presentation about the district?s goals when it comes to the core subjects and how those goals are measured may change, as the Iowa Assessment will go by the wayside in the next couple of years, making way for Iowa Smarter Balanced.

In other business, the board:

? Approved Anderson-Erikson to provide milk to the district.

? Approved Bimbo Bakery to provide bread to the district.

? Approved the 2016 graduates.

? Authorized changes to the student handbooks.

? Authorized the purchase of 700 MacBook Pros for the high school 1:1 initiative for $733,281.50.

? Approved the purchase of 50 MacBook Pros for elementary teachers for $51,550.

The next regular meeting of the Mt. Pleasant School Board will be held on Monday, July 18, at 6 p.m., at the High School media center.