USD 234 board hears update on school bond issue projects

Superintendent Bob Beckham provided USD 234 Board of Education members with an update on various continuing summer school bond projects during their Monday meeting.

Beckham said cleanup of asbestos at Fort Scott High School "went exactly as planned" and "soft demolition" at the high school's old three-story Juco wing, which began last week, is nearly complete. Construction crews have opened each floor of the Juco wing on the west side in order to drop soft materials out and haul them off.

Beckham said large equipment needed to begin knocking the actual structure down was scheduled to arrive this week with demolition work to begin soon after. Demolition work, clearing of debris and work following the demolition should take a few weeks to complete, Beckham estimated.

Beckham showed some images of soft demolition inside and outside the Juco wing to board members on Monday.

"They should start demolishing that wing soon," he said.

Beckham also talked about improvements being made at Frary Field, the district stadium, which include new stadium lights, new artificial turf and all associated drains and irrigation, fence replacements and other improvements. He said workers have removed all of the dirt from the field and brought in clay for compaction. Crews are completing the base below the turf and have also begun work on irrigation and drainage systems.

"The next step is gravel on top of what is called fly ash for firmness. It's almost like concrete," Beckham said. "Then gravel for drainage and finally sand for softness. That should happen imminently."

Beckham also said new bases are in place for light poles at the stadium. He said the district is working with Westar Energy to install transformers at the stadium "in conjunction with the new lights going up." He said the new lights should be "three times more efficient."

The district is also working with city officials regarding traffic flow at the northeast corner of the high school campus and widening the northeast corner for parking in anticipation of the new auxiliary gym that will be built as part of the school bond issue.

"It's two-fold. One, to get ahead of that project but more importantly and more immediately, all trucks still taking material into the stadium and trucks taking material away from the Juco wing, a lot of traffic will go through the stadium toward State Street," Beckham said.

The new gym will be located adjacent to the east of the current gym and will "sit on the northeast corner of campus in that parking area," Beckham said.

"The goal is, if the parking situation is figured out, it will start next fall," he said.

A stop sign has been placed at the corner of Ninth and State streets "to make that corner safer with trucks passing through there," Beckham said.

Beckham commended Fort Scott Police Chief Travis Shelton and Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou for working with the district on the traffic issue. He also said local maintenance staff members "have been a tremendous asset."

Beckham said work on the bond projects is "at a fever pitch and will stay that way the next 30 months or so."

In other business

* Beckham introduced Nicki Traul, a representative of the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush, who will be working with the district's leadership team when the new school year begins to help develop K-12 curriculum throughout the district.

"I'm excited to be here. I enjoy working with curriculum," Traul said.

"We're excited to have you help us," board vice-president Gary Billionis said.

* The board approved Tindel's Telephone Service, Inc., for CAT6 installation at Fort Scott Middle School and the USD 234 Board of Education office and authorization for 50 percent payment up front to buy materials. Beckham said money from the school bond will pay for a project to eventually install tech cables throughout the district.