This is just some of the damage found on the walls of school district buildings. Above is a crack in mortar. At right, is a lintel that is rusting and causing the mortar to crumble. (Submitted photos)

School maintenance, space needs examined

“A normal person driving by our buildings would say they look fine,” said LeRoy Peterson. 

“We could spend a significant amount of money and they’d never notice,” he continued, referring to needed repairs such as roof work and tuck pointing.

Peterson is the Buildings and Grounds Supervisor for Staples-Motley School District. His comments accompanied a PowerPoint presentation at the Nov. 15 school board work session which was called to discuss facility needs.

Peterson had over 150 photos showing damaged areas on the district’s buildings that need repairs.

“We have a lot of places where the mortar is cracked,” he said adding that water can get in and freeze, causing the mortar to push out and crumble, creating even longer, larger cracks.

Brick and mortar life expectancy is 50 years, Peterson explained, and many of the district’s buildings are older. The mortar is aged. 

He also pointed out that a lot of the lintels are begining to rust so they continue to get thicker pushing out the mortar between bricks and caulking around windows. 

The high school and elementary school in Staples and the middle school building in Motley all show similar problems.

Tuck pointing is very expensive, Peterson said. At one time he sought a preliminary estimate for three walls of the high school gym that came to over $200,000. 

“Is there an alternative? I don’t know,” he said, adding that is why a facility evaluation is needed.

Peterson noted that some roof work needs to be done on parts of all three buildings. In some cases he thought a coating could be used rather that a full replacement. One exception to that was the elementary school which he thinks needs to be redone. Earlier in the year it was reported that staff had to put out buckets when it rained.

He said that any firm that does a facility study can help find alternatives and help write bids.

The board reviewed the ten-year re-roofing schedule and budget, noting the cost total was just over one million dollars.

Use of buildings

The building principals each gave a report on how their building was used and what needs they identified in the second part of the meeting. 

“We’re full,” said Kathy Johnson, Staples-Motley Elementary School principal, noting that most rooms were used almost 100 percent of the time. One exception was the music rooms which were free in the afternoons. 

Even then, however, those rooms saw a variety of uses when necessary, such as when a student with high mental health issues needed to be separated from the rest of the class. 

The issue of a separate, dedicated cafeteria has been on the list for many years. At present, most students go through a lunch line, then take their trays back to their classrooms. That can be a challenge, especially for the very youngest students.

Chris Halverson, middle school principal, noted that the cafeteria in that building also presents some challenges. With the reconfiguration that puts grades 4-7 in that building, some students are seated at tables meant for much younger students. In addiiton, because he doesn’t have enough supervisors for outside recesses, the cafeteria is used for indoor games. 

Halverson also worried about the safety of the pull-out bleachers in the gym and noted that the locker rooms needed attention.

The diagram of usage that Halverson prepared showed that most of the building is used 100 percent of the day with just a few spaces used less than that. 

Peterson addressed a question about the floor in the older gym in the Motley building. A sport court, which is a tartan floor without the mercury, would cost $50,000-$60,000 plus an additional $10,000 to remove the existing tile.  A regular tile floor would cost about $20,000.

However, Peterson noted that the type of roof on the gym “is not a good choice” and could cost about $150,000 to replace. That does not include the tuck pointing needed.

He also said any cafeteria expansion would likely take place to the south, which would affect that gym.

Principal Mike Schmidt addressed the usage and needs of the high school. He said the third floor of the 1914 addition had some spaces near the wrestling room that were used for storage. 

He named one teacher who does not have a space of his own, but uses four different rooms to teach six classes. Another teacher uses three different rooms. 

Much of the usage is based on what is being taught and how it is being taught. For instance, those students taking online classes share the library computers because there is no other place for them to go. 

Superintendent Mary Klamm said all of these needs should be examined comprehensively across all buildings, which is what a facility study will do. 

“We need to ask about all of our buildings - Are we meeting the educational needs of our learners? For instance, does a single 20 ft. by 30 ft. classroom meet the needs anymore?” Klamm asked.

She also expressed the need for community engagement and help from experts on how to put all the pieces together, including the funding. 

“We may not have to bond, or not bond for all of it,” she said. “There are some opportunities out there for us, but we have to be prepared with a plan.”

Klamm added later, after the board reviewed the long term facilities maintenance schedule, the health and safety project details and some revenue projections, that a bond was not equalized while some of the other opportunities she mentioned were equalized. That translates to less burden on local taxpayers. 

“We have some important and huge price tag decisions ahead of us,” said board chair Mary Freeman, adding they need to talk to the community and the teachers. “What do they want and need to help us grow good people.”

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