Chester BOE approves science lab renovation funds
<span>With the Chester Grade School gym complete and open, the Chester District 139 Board of Education is tackling another item on its wish list.</span>
<span>As part of its regular meeting on Thursday, board approved a down payment of $76,565.50 to Sheldon Laboratory Systems to go toward the $326,000 cost of cabinetry and furniture for the renovation to Chester High School's science rooms.</span>
<span>Sheldon is also consulting Steeleville District 138 on its science room renovations, estimated to cost $380,000. Both school districts' projects are slated for completion by the start of the 2016-17 school year.</span>
<span>The Chester board heard a presentation from Baysinger Architects representatives Ryan Dodd and Earl Kleidon. Dodd is project manager for the company, while Kleidon is engineering coordinator.</span>
<span>"The two main goals are to increase storage/safety and student occupancy," Dodd said. "We tried to cram as much as we can have and still meet ADA codes."</span>
<span>The science rooms will have an occupancy of between 24 and 30 students and will flip-flop between chemistry, physics, biology and multipurpose based on student needs.</span>
<span>Similar to Steeleville's project, the rooms will have new plumbing, heating, lighting, doors and windows with safety showers, eye wash stations and a gas shutoff valve.</span>
<span>"We're pretty much ripping everything out and starting over," Kleidon said.</span>
<span>The project, which has a bid date of March 17 and would begin on the first day of summer vacation, will include a small renovation to the high school office.</span>
<span>"This is for Jeremy's closet that he's in now," said CHS Principal Dr. Sarah Gass, referring to Dean of Students Jeremy Blechle.</span>
<span>Gass said the renovation will include new walls and a new door as part of a reconfiguration to create a "useable office" for Blechle.</span>
<span>As he did to the Steeleville Board of Education during its meeting on Feb. 15, Dodd stressed time was short.</span>
<span>"By getting there now, we guarantee our place in line (at Sheldon)," he said, later adding that a delay of another month would mean the equipment wouldn't be delivered in time.</span>
<span>Board member Dan Colvis, who is on the board's Building and Grounds Committee, asked Kleidon about the possibility of including a penalty clause in the contract if the contractor does not complete work on time.</span>
<span>Kleidon noted "liquidated damages," which would be a reasonable estimate of any potential damages a breach of contract would cause, could be included in the contract, but it may result in higher bid prices.</span>
<span>"We can put him on notice he is falling behind with intent to terminate," Kleidon said.</span>
<span>During the presentation, Interim Superintendent Rick Goodman noted the district's large amount of Health, Life, Safety (HLS) funds - said to be $852,000. The board later approved submitting an amendment to use HLS funds for the renovation.</span>
<span>Dodd noted that an alternate bid would be to renovate the science rooms at CGS as well.</span>
<span>"We are still working with the grade school as far as their needs," he said.</span>
<span>Kleidon touched on a couple of other projects in the works for the district, including replacing 20-year-old windows at CHS and new roofs for the 1996 and 2004 additions to CGS.</span>
<span>In regard to the latter, Kleidon said price range would be $130,000 for both roofs, but there is $87,839.90 in unused state money from a matching energy grant the district received.</span>
<span>The project would have to be completed by Dec. 1 and any unused money would be returned to the state.</span>
<span>"That would mean every roof at this building would be the same age," Kleidon said.</span>
<span>Lastly, Kleidon updated the board on gas pressure problems at CGS and an issue with boilers kicking out that's been happening ever since 2004.</span>
<span>Kleidon noted that it would cost $6,000 to redo the gas lines and add new regulators to six areas of the building.</span>
<span>"It needs to be done to keep the boilers running," he said.</span>
Roundup
<span>CGS Principal Tim Lochhead's report included the following topics:</span>
<span>- Star Stinger assembly</span>
<span>- CGS girls basketball team advancing to state for first time</span>
<span>- Jump Rope for Heart</span>
<span>- St. Mary's Regional for boys basketball</span>
<span>- Air quality report preliminary results</span>
<span>CHS Principal Sarah Gass's report including the following topics:</span>
<span>- Mardi Gras celebration</span>
<span>- Senior Elizabeth Heffernan accepted into the University of Illinois' School of Business and one of only 35 students to be selected to be part of its Honors Program</span>
<span>- CHS Blood Drive resulted in 90 units of blood, enough to qualify CHS to give a $500 scholarship.</span>
<span>- 2016-17 registration complete</span>
<span>- ISBE visit</span>
<span>Board President Mitch Hammel noted that the cutoff date for the superintendent search is Feb. 26, after which the board will conduct interviews.</span>
<span>A vote on accepting a proposal from Kueker's Nursery and Garden Center regarding a renovation of the CHS football field failed due to lack of a second motion. Board Vice President Tom Welge advised the Building and Grounds Committee to bring back to the board a more reasonable amount rather than the $127,000 over six years currently proposed.</span>
<span>The board approved a base bid of $3,950 from MC Electric for an additional annunciator panel in the maintenance building.</span>
<span>The board approved a base bid of $5,481 from Culligan for a two-tank water filtration system at CGS.</span>
<span>The board approved a bid of $4,750 from HSG Mechanical for electrical and plumbing installation of the water filtration system.</span>
<span>The board authorized Goodman to advertise and accept sealed bids for the 2002 Chevrolet Impala and 1978 Chevy ½ ton truck.</span>
<span>The board approved the district wellness plan.</span>
<span>The board approved the addition of a bass fishing account to the CHS activity fund.</span>
<span>The board approved an agreement with Cornerstone Insurance Group to be the district's new insurance broker. The district is not changing insurance services as long as the insurance stays the same or gets better.</span>
<span>The board accepted the retirement request of LaVerne Misselhorn as CHS special education teacher at the conclusion of the school year.</span>
<span>The board accepted the resignation request of Paula Ray as National Honor Society co-advisor at the conclusion of the school year.</span>
<span>The board accepted the resignation request of Brad Norman as CHS head golf coach.</span>
<span>The board accepted the resignation request of Misselhorn as CHS assistant golf coach.</span>
<span>The board approved a one-year contract for CHS Principal Sarah Gass for the 2016-17 school year pending approval.</span>
<span>The board approved the maternity leave requests of Tonia Sellers (April 11 to beginning of 2016-17 school year) and Casey Peters (August 2016 through Sept. 12).</span>
<span>The board approved the employment of Curt Gilpin as CHS assistant track coach and Steve Spears as CHS assistant track coach.</span>
<span>The board approved employing Joe Kassebaum as CGS assistant volleyball coach. Kassebaum coaches the sixth, seventh and eighth grade teams.</span>
<span>The board tabled an agenda item to employ a CGS head track coach.</span>
<span>The board approved Joe Crain as bass fishing volunteer head co-coach</span>
<span>The board approved Jim West as CHS volunteer track coach.</span>
<span> </span>