The Kingsland School Board held its initial 2019 meeting on January 7. In the first item of business, Jackie Horsman swore in new board members Kyle Rader, Maranda Emig, and Natasha Howard. Also present for the meeting were Tiffany Mundfrom, Leah Stier, student board member Zachary Queensland, and Superintendent James Hecimovich.
The board then elected a board chair (Jackie Horsman), vice chair (Tiffany Mundfrom), clerk (Leah Stier) and treasurer (Maranda Emig). Next, committee assignments were chosen, as follows: Meet & Confer (Emig), MSHSL/Designated School Rep (Howard), Standards/Discipline (Mundfrom), Early Childhood/Community Ed (Rader), Special Needs (Stier), Vocational Ag (Mundfrom), Labor (Emig), Pupil Transportation (Howard), Legislative Liaison (Rader), Systems Accountability/WBWF (Stier), City Liaison (Mundfrom and Rader), and Negotiations (Horsman, Mundfrom, and Emig). Board members voted to keep the regular schedule of board meetings unchanged from 2018 (a work session on the first Monday at 6 p.m., and a regular board meeting on the third Monday at 6:30 p.m).
Following the 2019 organizational decisions, the board discussed several items, including the ongoing Longterm Facility Maintenance Indoor Air Quality (LTFM IAQ) project. Hecimovich summarized the history of the issue for new board members, stating, in part, “We have some ventilation problems. When they put these systems in, I think 2002… very poorly designed… So we need to do something about this.” He pointed out that during the 2006 update, the school had planned on a four-pipe system, but due to cost-cutting settled on a two-pipe system. He said the result is that the heating/cooling cannot be quickly changed over during unexpectedly warm or cool days that sometimes pop up in the spring or fall, and he said the result is, “We’ve had some really miserable days here.”
Hecimovich added, “The Ag building has a stand-alone furnace, and we want to tie that in to our entire system.” He also said that the current system does not adequately control humidity, so mold and mildew problems have been found.
Hecimovich also summarized the situation that was discovered in September, saying Kingsland found out that the flooring cannot have holes drilled into it for an HVAC system, so a column and beam system will need to be installed. He added that Kingsland has learned from experience that the HVAC system needs to be a quality system, because if it’s not done right it ends up costing more and creating additional problems. He summarized, “It has to get done,” and he stressed, “Keep in mind, these units,… usually have about a 20 year life span.” The board voted to accept the bid from SVL of $529,890 for the rooftop HVAC units. The board also voted to go out for bids on the rest of the IAQ project. Sealed bids will be accepted in the coming weeks.
Jackie Horsman shared her opinion with the board that they will need to make decisions soon about how to move forward on an operating levy, since the November referendum was voted down. Principal Scott Klavetter pointed out that the amount Kingsland had asked votes to approve was a “per student” amount, and that with declining enrollment this does not necessarily mean an equivalent increase in revenues for the school.
The board discussed vaping, which involves small devices that can be used to get a “puff” of nicotine or other drug. Hecimovich said vaping is much tougher to catch, since it does not create a traditional cigarette smell. He also said the devices are often made to look like everyday objects, so parents may not realize what to look for. Kingsland is looking into education for students and families about the risks and warning signs of vaping.
Due to Martin Luther King Day, the next regular board meeting will be Wednesday, January 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the choir room. As always, the public is welcome at all open meetings.
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