NL School Board receives update on work projects

By Bryce Kelly, Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ?Bond projects at the New London Community School District are coming to fruition, according to school officials, and with very few hiccups to speak of.

During Tuesday evening?s regular school board meeting, New London superintendent, Chad Wahls updated the board on the progress of both the track/football field, and the work to the high school locker rooms and concession stand area. In regard to the football field/track, dirt and a drainage system have been brought in. If weather cooperates, Wahls estimates that seeding should be done by the end of the month.

?The field itself is coming along. We are rocking and rolling on that, which is great,? said Wahls.

As for other aspects of the project, Wahls did have a discussion with the board regarding the current placement of the football scoreboard. The school board determined that where the scoreboard is set to be placed now is closer to the actual field than where they would like it to be. According to Wahls, to fix the issue, board members will have to decide between one of two options.

?The plans we have do call for the scoreboards to be directly behind the goalposts,? said Wahls. ?Right now, there is very little obstruction to the scoreboard from there. However, the fear is that the board is too close to the field. Looking at it now, I can see we do need to address where it is.?

According to Wahls, one option to remedy the situation would be to purchase a protective netting that would be placed around the scoreboard to keep the lights and board safe from any football that might hit it during a game or a practice. The second option would be to have contractors move the scoreboard all together to a new location.

?A net would cost approximately $600 plus the cost to install it and the cost to install a bracket system to hold it in place. Many indoor gyms have these and they don?t obstruct the view of the scoreboard itself,? said Wahls. ?The other option would be to talk to the contractors and see how much it would cost to move the board to a different location farther away from the field, but still in view.?

Board members agreed that the current location of the scoreboard would be an issue. Lindsay Porter, board president, and board member Travis Benz both said they would like to inquire about the cost of moving the board.

?The way I look at it is we are putting a lot of money and pride into this project, and I would like to see it done as right as possible,? Porter said. ?I realize it might cost more to move it than it would to buy a net, but in the long run, it might be worth it to have it in a better spot.?

Wahls said he would estimate the cost of moving the board to be roughly $10,000, however he clarified that cost by saying it was his own rough estimate, not an official cost. The board decided to inquire about the cost of moving the board before making a final decision.

Finally, in regard to the construction projects, Wahls said he would soon be meeting with construction managers in charge of the locker room and concession stand work to talk about worksite tidiness. According to Wahls, the worksites for these two projects have been left untidy at times, despite the district?s past requests to tidy these work areas after each day as best as possible. Wahls said he plans to address that issue with the manager(s) sometime this week or next week.

In other news, the district says they are now on the hunt for a new special education handicap accessible vehicle after a recent car accident involving that vehicle left it totaled.

?I do want to say that the staff and students involved are doing okay,? he said. ?They have all received medical treatment and are on the mend, which we are grateful for.?

Currently, the district is renting a vehicle that meets the state?s requirements for a handicap accessible van. For a more long-term solution, however, the district will have to purchase another vehicle.

According to board secretary, Jessica Boyer, insurance payments are still being worked out for the vehicle. The New London vehicle was not at fault for the accident and all parties within the vehicle were wearing seatbelts.

?We have been shopping around for another vehicle online and there are vehicles out there that fit the state?s requirements,? said Wahls.

At the suggestion of board member Jesse Howard, the district will employ the help of local car dealerships to assist in the search for another vehicle that is competitively priced, whether it be a new or gently used vehicle.

In other news, the board also approved the personnel resignation of Carrie Applegate, as a TLC Instructional Coach. They also approved the appointments of Mark Chiri as an assistant baseball coach; Mark McSorley and Kyle Helmerson as volunteer baseball coaches; Damon Loyd as an assistant softball coach; Joel Prottsman as a volunteer softball coach; and Riley Grogan as a summer technology assistant.

Finally, the board:

? Approved the staff wellness policy

? Approved the 2017-2018 meal prices at Kindergarten through fifth- grade at $2.40; sixth- through 12th-grade at $2.50; and adult pricing will be set at $3.55

? Approved 35 seniors for graduation

? Approved the 2017-2018 district calendar

Before ending their regular meeting and going into exempt session to discuss negotiations, the board was also informed that interviews for the new guidance counselor position will be starting next week. Thus far, only one application has been received for that position.

The New London Community District School Board will meet again on Monday, May 15, at 7 p.m., in the New London School District board room.