Kyle Walker (left) and Richard Wilson of Weller’s Plumbing & Heating dismantle one of the old heating units in the intermediate school gym. The units were the last mechanisms to run off of the school’s boiler system. They are being replaced with high-efficiency heating and cooling units, a $115,000 project. The gym will be temperature controlled for the first time in its history.
(Posted July 30, 2015)
By Sandi Latimer, Staff Writer
Summertime finds school districts preparing buildings and grounds for the coming year while administrators work to fill staff vacancies. That was the picture July 21 at the Madison-Plains school board meeting.
Superintendent Tim Dettwiller reported on the aggressive summer work projects. Midway through the summer, work is on schedule in most areas, he said.
Dettwiller said he has been meeting with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office on how to maintain and control traffic on Linson Road in front of the campus. By the time school starts next month, there will be a driveway in front where students can be dropped off and picked up. Discussions concern traffic safety as motorists pull out onto the road.
“Once we get this established, a map will be posted on the website,” Dettwiller said. The site is www.mplsd.org.
New furniture for the four targeted classrooms may not be set up by the time classes begin Aug. 17, but will be there by the end of the month, Dettwiller said. Furniture for the library will come later, possibly by October, he added.
Inside work on the heating, air conditioning and ventilation system in the intermediate school gym will be completed by the time school starts, and any work remaining at that time will be outdoor work so classrooms are not interrupted.
The enlarged cafeteria in the intermediate building also will be completed by the start of the new school year.
Meanwhile, five teachers resigned because they found employment in a district closer to their home or close to a family who is ill. Eight teachers were hired, but still some vacancies remain. Board members held an executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss personnel matters.
The board approved a pay raise for administrative and exempt employees, such as office workers and clerical staff. They will get a 1 percent pay raise for this school year, and 2 percent each of the next two years.
“But not for (treasurer) Todd (Mustain) and myself,” Dettwiller said.
The varsity softball team was approved for a spring trip to Florida for a tournament. The trip will “expose our young student athletes to playing top teams from all around the country in an environment that is safe, warm, dry and fun,” the resolution read. Travel expenses for the trip, set for March 23-28, 2016, will be covered through fund-raising efforts, donations and the students themselves.
Board members approved a change in the way they are paid to comply with state law. They rescinded the resolution where they would be paid $1,500 in a lump sum and adopted one where they will be paid $125 per meeting.
The board also accepted a donation of $21,371 for the athletic department from former Mount Sterling resident Stanley Hanson. Dettwiller said Hanson promised to match what the district raised in donations.
To prepare for the start of the new school year, each building is having an open house:
- Aug. 12—Elementary, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Aug. 12—Intermediate, 7-8 p.m.
- Aug. 13: Junior high and high school, 5:30-7 p.m.
