Wednesday, December 13, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
BUS BARN: Middle
school projects are
district priority
Continued from page 1
of the transportation facility
project drew pushback from
citizens as to its location,
design, and cost.
The District’s Bond
Oversight Committee, which
is charged with overseeing
the investment of the bond
money to ensure deliv-
ery of the $10.7 prom-
ises, is also monitor-
ing the $4 million state
grant expenditures.
On the list of bond
capital projects were
four expenditures for
the existing bus barn at
the elementary school
totaling $58,875. Those
included adding security
cameras to the bus fleet,
upgrading exterior light-
ing, parking and access road
improvements, and upgrad-
ing security systems.
With the additional funds
available from the state grant,
creating a new transportation
facility with shop classrooms
and storage, located on what
will eventually become the
complete educational campus
(including all three schools,
transportation facilities,
and administrative offices)
seemed like a possibility.
The four projects slated on
the bond capital projects list
were put on hold. The school
board approved the $1.5 mil-
lion project, and design work
began.
Now the project is on
hold and the Bond Oversight
Committee is forwarding
to the school board a list of
recommended strategic addi-
tions to the capital projects
list. The $4 million grant is
enhanced by another $1 mil-
lion that was realized from
favorable market timing and
interest earned. The oversight
committee is recommending
to the school board that $1
million be put into a reserve
fund for future needs so the
District can eliminate having
to defer maintenance, a prob-
lem that is endemic in school
districts statewide.
Some $800,000 would
go toward strategic project
additions in all of the facili-
ties to add to the lifespan of
the buildings. That would
leave $3.2 million not yet
allocated.
Phase 1 capital projects
at the elementary and high
schools plus the athletic
We want community
engagement and input
— Jay Wilkins
facilities are completed. The
work at the middle school is
going out for bid now with
work beginning in February
2018. The 26-year-old build-
ing has many areas that need
repair, upgrading, and reor-
ganization to re-task space,
increase security, better
serve new educational mod-
els, and enhance the student
experience.
A portion of the state grant
money will allow for projects
to be done completely rather
than applying “band-aids,” as
well as taking care of unex-
pected issues that arise as
projects begin and unfore-
seen problems are uncovered.
Project leader Bret
Hudson told the oversight
committee that if all the stra-
tegic projects are fully com-
pleted at the middle school,
the building would be good
for years to come.
The Bond Oversight
Committee is charged with
being sure the District
is delivering what was
promised when the voters
approved the $10.7 million
bond. They will “use strate-
gic allocation of some of the
extra funds based on discov-
ery, team feedback, and other
opportunities that allow the
School District to maximize
return on the original bond
intent.”
Their charge for the $4
million grant opportuni-
ties is to be sure the District
invests wisely. Their plan has
included early exploration of
previously and newly identi-
fied opportunities.
While they are “pumping
the brakes,” as the District
describes it, through this
winter, a number of activi-
ties and projects will
take place. The middle
school construction will
begin. The District will
celebrate and share with
the community what
has been done with the
$10.7 million, including
strategic additions. With
the aid of a third-party
facilitator, a mission and
vision exercise will be com-
pleted so as to inform the
District’s direction for future
investment opportunities.
Additionally, there will
be an ongoing review of the
centralized campus strategy
as per the long-term plan for
the District. There are plans
to incorporate an enhanced
community input process.
There will be continued due
diligence on project opportu-
nities where appropriate.
The Board Oversight
Committee is made up of
several school board mem-
bers, including chairman
Jay Wilkins, who is also
chairman of the oversight
committee, project leader-
ship that oversees the capital
projects being undertaken,
and community members.
The school board made the
appointments.
The meetings of both the
oversight committee and the
school board are open to the
public. At the meeting last
week, the oversight commit-
tee welcomed seven mem-
bers of the public and invited
comment from the visitors.
“We want community
engagement and input,” said
Wilkins.
Superintendent weighs
in on bus barn
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
When questioned about
why the Sisters School
District decided to “pump
the brakes” on the proposed
transportation facility (see
related story, page 1), Sisters
School Superintendent Curt
Scholl remarked, “Our intent
has always been that, until
we know the total costs of the
work on the middle school,
we are not moving forward
on other projects.”
According to Scholl, “Our
first commitment is to finish
these projects” (the ones out-
lined in the capital projects
list).
The transportation facility
was the last project removed
from the list originally cre-
ated for the earlier school
bond that was defeated. Items
were trimmed to bring down
the amount of the bond to
an overall price tag of $10.7
million.
Scholl pointed out that
with “rejecting the bids of
contractors” on the transpor-
tation facility, there is now
an opportunity to open up
dialog about the location and
design of the transportation
facility and do a thorough
cost analysis.
“It’s never a good design
when people travel across
a parking lot,” Scholl said
of the proposed placement
of the facility in the student
parking lot at the high school.
During the mission and
vision process being under-
taken by the District this
winter, Scholl reported that
the combined educational
campus concept would be
part of the dialogue.
FURRY FRIEND S
501 ( c )( 3 )
FOUNDATION
FurryFriendsFoundation.org
Furry Friends Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
DON’T
MISS OUT
on this week’s inserts in the Nugget:
Ray’s Food Place: Fantastic Friday’s
One-day Deal – December 15 only – is
on Gold’n Plump Whole Rotisserie
Chickens: just $4.99 each! (fi rst 2)
Bi-Mart #1: The Black & Decker
1.1cf Microwave Oven is now over
37% off at just $49.99 (reduced from
Bi-Mart’s regular low price of $79.99)!
Bi-Mart #2: Stay warm and cozy at
night with Flannel Sheet Sets by
Pine Creek! They’re now on sale,
starting at just $12.99 for twin to
$19.99 for king-bed sizes!
25
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 TH
Christmas Eve Services
9:00am & 10:45am
Candle Light Service
4:45 PM
Join us for light refreshments at 4:00 PM
4 4 2 Tr i n i t y Wa y, S i s t e r s , O R 977 5 9 | ( 5 41 ) 5 4 9 - 418 4 | i n f o @ w e s t s i d e s i s t e r s . o r g | w w w. w e s t s i d e s i s t e r s . o r g