The 1952 gymnasium attached to the former middle school will remain standing for the next several years, although it has seen no use since the opening of the new Greene County High School in 2020.
The fate of the gym is tied to the repurposing of the school building as apartments, an ambitious project of Nate Adams of Carroll, doing business as NGA Ventures. The 1921 school building was sold to Adams for $1 two years ago. At the time, razing the gymnasium was said to be necessary for NGA Ventures to secure $3.5 million in state tax credits needed to fund the $6 million (pre-Covid cost estimate) project.
The board approved a contract with Murphy Construction at a cost of $149,750 to demolish the gym and the hallway connecting it to the school.
However, before demolition was started, Adams received word from the State that razing the gym would eliminate the tax credits in question, and demolition was put “on hold.” Murphy agreed to honor the contract until the question was resolved.
Greene County Schools superintendent Brett Abbotts told the board at the April 19 regular meeting that the final word is that the gym must remain standing for a minimum of five years after substantial completion of the housing project for the state tax credits to remain in place. That would move demolition to 2030 at the earliest, assuming the housing project takes two years to complete.
Murphy agreed to release the school district from their contract if the district returned to him the $9,849 bid bond he provided in 2021. The board agreed unanimously on that action.
Also at the April 19 meeting, the board approved summer projects for 2023. Included is removal and replacement of acoustical ceilings at the middle school by Janning Ceiling Systems at a cost of $139,942. That will follow completion of a ceiling sprinkler system approved by the board in 2022. Other projects are repair to the roof at the bus barn by Grell Roofing at a cost of $91,000, and the purchase of two Chrysler Voyager mini vans from Stew Hansen at the state contract price of $36,314 each. Funding is from the physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL).
The board also approved replacing three heat pumps at the elementary school at a total cost of $21,000, with the cost covered by Covid relief funds.
The board voted to ratify a five-year agreement with Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local # 177, the union that represents district bus drivers. In the first year of the contract drivers of regular routes will be paid $43.18 per hour. That hourly wage rate is open for negotiation each new fiscal year. Drivers of activity busses will be paid $19.07 an hour.
The board approved contracts for administrators, nutrition staff and other classified staff.
Superintendent Abbotts, who will begin his second year with the district July 1, was awarded a $1,650 raise, bringing his salary to $166,650. Elementary principal Audrey Hinote, also starting her second year as principal, was awarded a 2.08 percent increase, putting her salary at $98,000. High school principal Brian Phillips will be paid $118,200, an increase of 1.31 percent. Incoming middle school principal Cara Osborne will be paid $90,000, which is $17,900 less than retiring principal Shawn Zanders’ salary.
Laura Marshall, who will move up to the position of board secretary with the retirement of Brenda Muir, will be paid $67,500. That’s $9,584 less than Muir’s salary.
Custodians will receive an increase of 3.48 percent to their hourly wage, with a range of $13.66 to $21.97. School nurses and secretaries also will see a 3.48 percent bump in their hourly wage, with a range of $30.70 to $32.48/hour for nurses, and a range of $14.49 to $22.77/hour for secretaries. An increase of 3.48 percent for associates results in a range of $13.02 to $17.94/hour. Those on the high end of the range have been with the district many, many years.
Abbotts reported to the board that the agreement with New Opportunities/Head Start for 2023-24 will include a 3-year-old classroom at The Children’s Center.
