PCHS Votes First $500,000 for New School

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The High School Board of Education passed a resolution to sell $500,000 in health/life/safety bonds to cover the initial costs of the replacement school project. First Mid-State is handling the bond sale. The proceeds should be available by Feb. 9.

The board is still in negotiations with Holland Construction, which will serve as the construction management firm, and with District Architect Dave Mevert.

Superintendent Jon Green said it is customary to have a contract for architectural services that coincides with the construction manager contract. The two entities must work closely together.

Green said the board hopes to have concluded the negotiations by the Feb. 22 board meeting.

Mevert has worked on the initial phases of the project. He recently completed the state capital grant re-application. The updated application will be sent to the state this week.

The next step will be for the state to make a site visit. After the visit, Dist. 101 will learn how much state funding will or will not be available for the project.

The board did agree to hire Geotech, the firm that conducted an earlier survey for the project, to conduct the soil boring on the project.

In other business, the board:

authorized Transportation Director Lylia Hagel to purchase an activity bus at a cost not to exceed $43,000. The activity bus will replace a van, which was recently outlawed for use by schools.

re-appointed Peggy Sims and Louise Sweitzer and appointed Geniese Silbe to the PCHS Education Foundation.

authorized Green to begin preparing the 2010-2011 budget.

heard from Principal Keith Hagene on the ITED and STAR testing and how it is used in the Response to Intervention program. Students have take the STAR test twice and the ITED test once.