10A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL NOVEMBER 8, 2017
Early Learning Center cost soars
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The original bond estimate
for the Early Learning Center
reconstruction was $1,073,775-
-to be taken out of the $35 mil-
lion bond passed by voters in
May. By April, the cost had risen
to $1,683,073. In the fi rst week
of October, it was $1,814,838.
"I wanted direction from the
board," South Lane Superin-
tendent Krista Parent told the
school board on Monday. The
school district campaigned for
the bond to improve facilities,
technology and security, citing
upgrades to the Warren Daugh-
erty Aquatic Center, a new Har-
rison Elementary School and
improvements to early learning.
"I want direction on how to
proceed," Parent said, noting
she was uncomfortable making
the decision without imput from
the school board.
The Early Learning Center is
currently housed in the shadows
of the new Harrison Elementary
School on Taylor Ave. and used
to sit adjacent to Al Kennedy
High School before Kennedy
moved to Delight Valley at the
start of the current school year.
Plans for the center include an
additional 5,000 square feet and
two additional spaces that will
serve as a covered play area un-
til the school district can afford
to turn them into classrooms.
Head Start, a program re-
moved from South Lane School
District, will be utilizing the
Early Learning Center.
"They get their funding from
the federal level," Parent ex-
plained. "I'm confi dent they'll
contribute something. Maybe
equipping these classrooms or
fi nishing one of the two emp-
ty spaces for a classroom," she
said.
Mike Goreman of BLRB Ar-
chitects came before the board
Monday night to explain the
jump in cost from 2015 to Oc-
tober of this year.
"Right now, in this bidding
climate we're looking at a one
percent escalation cost per
month," he said. Various con-
struction projects across the
state of Oregon have tied up
contractors and raised costs in a
classic supply and demand sce-
nario.
Currently, the Early Learning
Center is permitted and Gore-
man said part of the costs come
from materials that are eing
matched to the new Harrison
Elementary school.
The new $1.8 million price
tag comes after Harrison's con-
struction has risen from $19
million to $23 million.
"This $1.8 million, there isn't
anywhere else to go with this
number," Parent said. "It could
go up if we wait longer."
To get to the $1.8 million
from the original bond esti-
mate of just over $1 million,
Parent suggested to the board
using $300,000 in savings from
technology, $200,000 in Harri-
son reuse, $100,000 in deferred
maintenance and money from
two different funds--$75,000
from Fund 430 (a construction
tax fund) and $66,063 from
Fund 450 (a capitol improve-
ments fund).
"We use that for summer
maintenance and we have a lit-
tle over $400,000 in that fund,"
Parent said. "Most of that is go-
ing to be used but we can obvi-
ously take $66,000."
That money, in additional to
the original bond estimate would bring the district to the $1.8 mil-
lion it would need to fund the Early Learning Center.
The cost had board member Taylor Wilhour questioning the cer-
tainty of the estimated price, asking if it could still increase if the
board were to approve the $1.8 million.
According to Goreman and district maintenence manager Matt
Allen, the were confi dent in the estimate of $1.8 million.
"We did everything under the sun to squeeze every dollar out
of it," Goreman told the board in terms of stretching the district's
dollar.
The board approved the $1.8 million.
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School board meeting wrap-up
By Caitlyn May
The South
Lane School
Board met
on Monday, November 6 with a packed
agenda including construction projects,
administrative goals and updates from stu-
dents and programs. Some highlights:
Construction
The school board heard an update on the
Early Learning Center that is scheduled for
part of the $35 million bond package of
projects as well as information on plans to
revamp the Warren Daugherty Aquatic Cen-
ter. Both projects face budgetary woes with
the ELC coming in over budget by near-
ly $1 million and the pool over budget by
$600,00.
Goals
Superintendent Krista Parent gave the
school board a quarterly update on her goals
for the year. Parent presented her goals year-
ly in the past. During Monday's meeting she
touched on community and school outreach,
noting that she had spoken to each school
and department between August and Sep- year. "There's concern about Latham," she
tember, attended a pool committee meeting said, noting it had 13 students less than last
and hosted site tours of the new Harrison Current events
Elementary School. In terms of her goal to
District employee Diane Hicks spoke as a
combat chronic absenteeism, Parent told the resident and not in her capacity as a teach-
board she is closing in on forming a team to er when she addressed the board Monday
address the issue which will include Chris night. Fighting back tears throughout the
Wells as Dean of students, Nick Findley as three minutes she spoke, she said she'd felt
a career specialist and two new hires at Cot- helpless after the shooting in Texas on Sun-
tage Grove High School and Al Kennedy day that left 26 people dead. "I don't like
High School.
feeling helpless but the school district has to
In an attempt to recognize staff, Parent do everything it can to get our children help
informed the board that she has created a at an early age," she said."The whole reason
schedule to recognize each department in I'm in education is a passion for children
the district throughout the year as well as and social justice issues," she said.
district wide events. "The whole idea is to
Outdoor school
get out and say 'Thank you and we appre-
The board will have to create a supple-
ciate you more than just once a year,'" she mental budget after submitting new num-
said.
bers to the state concerning a budget for
Enrollment
outdoor school.
The school district has two students less
Bohemia, Harrison, Dorena and Latham
than it did at this time last year. Parent pre- are among the schools scheduled to take
sented the enrollment report to the board part in outdoor school with Harrison cele-
that counted students as of October 5 of this brating its 42nd year in the program. The
year--part of a continuing trend. "People
Measure 99 funded program gets
ask about closing Latham and if those stu-
kids out of the classroom and into
dents will go to the new Harrison and the
the outdoors to learn hands-on
answer is we don't know, we'll see what
math and science.
Parent informed the board
happens." Parent noted that
the largest class is seniors at that she had requested just under
231 students. "You'll be losing $45,000 from the state including
every day by exceeding in life and taking his past strug-
231 students and bringing in $18,000 for teacher stipends as
gles as a motivator. Although his medical issues are not
a (kindergarten) class of 180 well as $1,500 for unreimbursed
completely gone, they are much less severe. Through
or 190. That's going to effect transportation. The school district
being in and out of the hospital for years he managed
budgeted $50,000 for outdoor
your budget," she said.
school in June when it passed its
to stay positive and look on the bright side of things. “I
budget.
have a lot of amazing people in my life, and a good life in
cmay@cgsentinel.com
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