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SPS board approves BMS agreement with city
By: ROGER HOLSINGER, Assistant Editor
It’s official.
The Scottsbluff Public Schools Board of Education formally adopted a lease agreement Monday night with the City of Scottsbluff to have the former Aurora Loan Services buildings serve as a middle school for approximately three semesters.
According to Superintendent Gary Reynolds, the school district is looking at beginning demolition of the gym and auditorium at Bluffs Middle School as soon as all personnel are out of the building in May, while at the same time preparing the two call center buildings to serve as a temporary middle school.
The school district pay $1,000 a month rent for the building and will pay for all utility cost. The lease agreement begins March 1 and ends Feb. 28, 2011, or completion of the BMS project, whichever comes first.
Originally when the school district looked at the idea of using the former ALS buildings, school officials believed students would be at the site for about two years, but Reynolds said the school district is now looking at having students in the new middle school by January 2011.
Resident Don Liehs, who addressed the board with some concerns about the safety aspects of having children and parents traveling over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks on Fifth Avenue, said he was surprised that more parents weren’t at the meeting. Liehs told the board that he hoped the district would appoint someone “responsible” to monitor the crossing to ensure the safety of everyone.
Reynolds said the current thought for the railroad crossing would be to have a crossing guard posted at the tracks, as well as one on East Overland and Fifth Avenue. He said the district is also encouraging parents in the district to utilize the buses, saying that students can catch a bus ride to the temporary middle school from each of the elementary schools, as well as the current middle school.
Bob Kinsey, who was re-elected board president earlier in the meeting, said that he’s heard concerns from some people about the situation but added that students in the district currently ride buses that cross railroad tracks every day. He said one of his concerns is how “rough” the crossing on Fifth Avenue is and that he would like to see the crossing smoother but said he isn’t sure if BNSF plans to address the situation.
Jeanna Townsend spoke in favor of moving the middle school students to the alternative ALS site, saying that the dust and noise of a construction project doesn’t present a very good learning environment for students.
In other business, the board approved the use of two contractors for remodeling and addition projects at Lincoln Heights, Longfellow and Westmoor Elementary Schools. Anderson & Shaw was awarded the bid for the Lincoln Heights and Westmoor projects for $3.7 million, while Snell Services was awarded the bid for the Longfellow $1.2 million remodeling project. A total of $5,038,237 are planned to be used at the three sites.
The board also approved a 10-cent increase in the cost of school meals for the elementary, secondary and adult prices. Effective Feb. 1, elementary meals will cost $2; secondary $2.25 and adult cost will be $3.10.
Director of Business Services Lavon Hood said the school district would be looking at a 15-cent increase for the 2009-10 school year in order to try and prevent another year of losing money in the program. She said that they estimate the district will be approximately $76,000 in the hole in the food service program by the end of this school year.
The Scottsbluff Public Schools Board of Education formally adopted a lease agreement Monday night with the City of Scottsbluff to have the former Aurora Loan Services buildings serve as a middle school for approximately three semesters.
According to Superintendent Gary Reynolds, the school district is looking at beginning demolition of the gym and auditorium at Bluffs Middle School as soon as all personnel are out of the building in May, while at the same time preparing the two call center buildings to serve as a temporary middle school.
The school district pay $1,000 a month rent for the building and will pay for all utility cost. The lease agreement begins March 1 and ends Feb. 28, 2011, or completion of the BMS project, whichever comes first.
Originally when the school district looked at the idea of using the former ALS buildings, school officials believed students would be at the site for about two years, but Reynolds said the school district is now looking at having students in the new middle school by January 2011.
Resident Don Liehs, who addressed the board with some concerns about the safety aspects of having children and parents traveling over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks on Fifth Avenue, said he was surprised that more parents weren’t at the meeting. Liehs told the board that he hoped the district would appoint someone “responsible” to monitor the crossing to ensure the safety of everyone.
Reynolds said the current thought for the railroad crossing would be to have a crossing guard posted at the tracks, as well as one on East Overland and Fifth Avenue. He said the district is also encouraging parents in the district to utilize the buses, saying that students can catch a bus ride to the temporary middle school from each of the elementary schools, as well as the current middle school.
Bob Kinsey, who was re-elected board president earlier in the meeting, said that he’s heard concerns from some people about the situation but added that students in the district currently ride buses that cross railroad tracks every day. He said one of his concerns is how “rough” the crossing on Fifth Avenue is and that he would like to see the crossing smoother but said he isn’t sure if BNSF plans to address the situation.
Jeanna Townsend spoke in favor of moving the middle school students to the alternative ALS site, saying that the dust and noise of a construction project doesn’t present a very good learning environment for students.
In other business, the board approved the use of two contractors for remodeling and addition projects at Lincoln Heights, Longfellow and Westmoor Elementary Schools. Anderson & Shaw was awarded the bid for the Lincoln Heights and Westmoor projects for $3.7 million, while Snell Services was awarded the bid for the Longfellow $1.2 million remodeling project. A total of $5,038,237 are planned to be used at the three sites.
The board also approved a 10-cent increase in the cost of school meals for the elementary, secondary and adult prices. Effective Feb. 1, elementary meals will cost $2; secondary $2.25 and adult cost will be $3.10.
Director of Business Services Lavon Hood said the school district would be looking at a 15-cent increase for the 2009-10 school year in order to try and prevent another year of losing money in the program. She said that they estimate the district will be approximately $76,000 in the hole in the food service program by the end of this school year.
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