The Park Rapids School Board received an update Monday, Jan. 3 about the engineering and design of upcoming school improvements.
Justin Maaninga, a senior project manager with ICS, and Austin May, a project engineer, brought a presentation to the school board about how design of the high school addition, Century School remodel and tennis court replacement is proceeding.
Maaninga said they have met with all school staff and administration and are planning to meet with a more concentrated group to discuss the final footprint of the project and how it will serve the district’s educational needs.
They are also meeting weekly with engineers across all disciplines to work on the design, starting with design of the tennis courts – “making sure we’re moving collectively on the right path together,” Maaninga said.
He said Meadowland Surveying of Detroit Lakes will provide a survey of the project footprint, to identify topographical features and utilities serving the site.
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Maaninga gave the school board a rough timetable for the project, as follows:
Summer 2022: Tennis courts.
May-June 2023: Moving out of the Frank White Education Center.
June of 2023: Frank White demolition.
Summer 2023: Bus garage, Century School pickup-dropoff area.
Summer 2023-June 2024: High school additions.
Summer 2024: Century renovations, phase 1 of high school renovations.
Summer 2025: Phase 2 of high school renovations.
In a reorganizational meeting for 2022, the school board:
Re-elected last year’s officers: Sherry Safratowich, chair; Clayton Hoyt, vice-chair; Stephanie Carlson, clerk; and Dennis Dodge, treasurer.
Kept school board members’ compensation as is. Board members are paid $150 every two weeks.
Scheduled regular school board meetings for 6 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month, except Tuesday, Jan. 18 due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Tuesday, Feb. 22, due to Presidents’ Day; Tuesday, March 8 due to March 7 being a non-school day; and Tuesday, April 19 due to the Easter holiday.
Designated the Park Rapids Enterprise as the school district’s official newspaper.
Designated official depositories for school district funds, and approved facsimile signatures for computer generated checks.
Approved the district’s membership in the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), Northwest Service Cooperative, North Country Vocational Cooperative, Minnesota Rural Education Association, Hubbard County Family Collaborative, PAWN Special Education, Sourcewell and joint powers agreements regarding the city-county fueling facility and community center.
Assigned board members the same committee and policy responsibilities as last year.
Approved their agenda calendar for 2022.
Authorized designated staff members to make electronic fund transfers, sign checks on the district’s Imprest account and have online access for the student activity account.
In consent items and general business, the school board:
Accepted the resignations of Josh Cook as junior high baseball coach and Christine Sauer as head volleyball coach.
Approved volunteer Greg Bankert as wrestling coach.
Hired Josh Cook as junior high softball coach.
Acknowledged a $3,822 donation to the school from the Skeffington Scholarship Fund.
Superintendent Lance Bagstad advised school board members to monitor the U.S. Supreme Court case regarding the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), or the federal vaccine mandate, which will affect all organizations with 100 or more employees.
Bagstad said MSBA is providing guidance and sample policies to support school districts if the ETS goes into effect.
The school board’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18 at the Frank White Education Center.
