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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2009)
The INDEPENDENT, October 1, 2009 Page 13 Banks School Board agrees facilities plan should be completed Banks School Board met September 14 with Richard Bowden chairing the meeting at the request of board Chairman Will Moore. Moore and Vice- chairman Kathy Edison were both unable to attend the meet- ing. Bowden, Laurie Schlegel and Norie Dimeo-Ediger made a quorum of board members for both the workshop and the business meeting. High school Principal Jim Smith gave a presentation about the advantages and dis- advantages of school size with- in the OSAA leagues. Interim Superintendent Jim Foster told the board that Jim Smith and Athletic Director Wyman Smith would make a nearly identical presentation to parents at a meeting later in the week for athletes and their parents. Justin Stranzl, from the dis- trict’s architecture firm DLR Group, came to discuss com- pletion of a site plan. Last year DLR created an architectural rendering that was used as part of the bond attempt. In January 2009 previous superintendent Marv Ott signed an agreement with DLR to created a site plan for the entire campus, including two or three options for resolv- ing traffic congestion at the ele- mentary school. However, in the face of last year’s econom- ic crisis, the board decided to place this project on hold. Not having a plan has creat- ed a sticky community relations problem for the district. The board has delayed granting permission for additional build- ings that might be in the way of future expansion, possibly hav- ing to be torn down. The sum- mer softball association has been trying to replace their storage shed, has the funds to build a small restroom/storage building that would become dis- trict property and has been ready to begin work for many months. The same process was used previously to con- struct the wrestling building with community donations. The softball association has not been able to start construction because of the possibility that the building will interfere with future development. Superin- tendent Foster said, “People are very sensitive” about dona- tions made to the district. Simon Levear, district busi- ness manager, told the board the Buxton fund could be used to develop a facilities site plan, explaining that, at the time of the sale of the Buxton School, the fund was established by the board “to build new schools”. For the last few years the board has ‘borrowed’ money from this fund for repair and mainte- nance. Levear told the board that the district was ahead in re- payment, has used this fund to cover other related bond ex- penses and has adequate funds available. Levear apolo- gized for not having the finan- cial report ready because of de- tailed analysis of the Buxton fund. After learning from Stranzl that the project, including focus group participation, would not take more than two months, the Super Quiet Portable Power board reached a consensus to have a facilities plan completed. Beginning a paean of praise for staff at all levels, that would continue throughout the eve- ning, Foster told the board that he had nothing but positive comments. Teachers complet- ed their inservice training prior to the beginning of the school year, having conceded four ad- ditional inservice days that would have been scattered through the school year. No ad- ditional inservice days will oc- cur this year. The board requested last month that Foster consolidate and simplify several documents as a draft for developing district goals. During the workshop, Foster told the board that dis- trict planning will always re- volve around five basic areas: finance, facilities, curriculum, student achievement, staff de- velopment. After briefly dis- cussing all five areas, he sum- marized that this year, the em- phasis is on maintaining cur- rent levels of service by what- ever means possible. After the Pledge of Alle- giance, Foster recognized John and Carol Shaefer for twenty years of “superb bus service”. The family has provided bus service to the district since 1940, when Jack Benifield, John’s grandfather, started the service. John’s father Mack (and Lillian) ran the buses be- ginning in 1953. John and Car- ol started in 1976 and have owned Shaefer Transportation since 1989, and continued pro- viding bus service through the last school year. Over the sum- mer, Shaefer’s reached an agreement with the district and MS 250 MS 250 Chain Saw A step up from the MS 230, this model has an excellent power-to-weight ratio. Standard features include a side-access chain tensioner for easy chain adjustment. 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