By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The bad news at Monday’s Colonel Crawford school board meeting was that the district will have to spend more than $400,000 to fix the roof on what is left of the old high school. The good news is the district won’t have to use local tax revenue to pay for it.
The board unanimously agreed to accept the bid from Duro-Last for a replacement roof for the Colonel Crawford North Building. That building houses administrative offices, the high school gym, swimming pool, locker rooms, music education, shop classes and more.
Superintendent Todd Martin explained to board members that the project would be funded by a refund from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission as a result of the recently completed high school wing coming in under budget.
“We’re waiting on them to finish the audit,” Martin said. “Then they’ll cut us the check.”
However, Martin made the roof contract contingent on the district’s receipt of the refund. By approving the contract now, the district will get on the contractor’s construction schedule. Martin estimated the project would begin next spring. The contract with Duro-Last is in the amount of $413,967.38.
The board also approved an increase in the district’s health insurance rates of 4.8 percent. While an increase, Martin noted that the percentage of raise in rates is less than what is projected to be the norm, and less than other school districts are facing. He credited that to being part of a large consortium which gives the district greater leverage in purchases because the group is, in essence, larger than it might otherwise be.
“We were very happy,” Martin said. “Other districts outside the consortium have been about 7 percent (raise in rates).”
Bucyrus Road Materials will plow the district parking lots and drives at a rate of $60 per hour.
“This is the rate that goes back as far as anyone can remember,” Martin said.
The board meeting began with a presentation and explanation of the high school’s involvement with the Crawford County Leadership Academy. High School Principal Jake Bruner said each Crawford County high school has selected a combination of seven juniors and seniors to take part. From Colonel Crawford’s group, four – Nickolas Studer, Pierce Krasow, Amanda Crace and Emily Kemper – shared with the board their experiences in the program thus far.
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There will be a special meeting of the Colonel Crawford school board at 7:30 next Monday evening so that Treasurer Vicki Stump may present the five-year forecast.