JACKSON CENTER — Jackson Center Board of Education members voted during their regular meeting, Monday, March 20, to pull ahead state funds and remove asbestos from parts of the high school building.
“Our current building was built in phases,” said Superintendent William Reichert, Thursday, in explaining the action. In order to get state funding for the new building to house grades K through 8 and to renovate the remaining building, the board had to agree to demolish the sections of the school that were built in 1928 and 1954 and part of the addition built in 1965.
“We had to agree that sometime in the future — and it could be 30 years from now — we would tear down the rest of the 1965 and the 1981 (additions),” he said. “The state was holding funds for that and asbestos abatement.”
The board’s vote this week will approve accessing some of that state money now to remove asbestos from the 1965 and 1981 sections of the school.
In a related discussion concerning the design phase of the renovations, representatives of Freytag and Associates Inc. and Peterson Construction outlined for the board the reasoning behind cost estimates of the current plans and provided cost reduction opportunities for the board’s consideration.
In other business, the board:
• Accepted donations in the amount of $100 by Oakley Chiropractic in support of girls basketball and of $285 by Susie Harris in support of the vocal program.
• Apparoved a memoradum of understanding with the Shelby County Board of Developmental Disabilities Shelby Hills for the 2017-2018 school year.
• Authorized field trips by the second grade to the Columbus Zoo, May 5; by the third grade to COSI, April 18; by the sixth grade to Camp Wilson, April 24-26; and by the FCCLA to Columbus, April 28-29.
• Accepted the resignation of assistant track coach Kylan Booser.
• Hired Iesha Lampy as asistant track coach and Dalton Faulder as volunteer assistant track coach and approved additional compensation for Taylor Nehls for support services to be provided during Camp Wilson.
• Went into executive session to discuss employment of public employees.
