School board looks to coming construction
Future action dominated Monday night's meeting of the Ashland School Board.
Due to the successful passage of last November's $46.8 million bond issue, the district has a lot of work ahead of it, primarily in the area of capital construction and improvements.
Gordon Odette and Gary DeCock gave a project management update that outlined elements of the plan. They included the roll-out of the bond issuance itself as well as the contracting necessary to get the work done.
Using Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation as the investment banker, the district will close the process of issuance on June 19, delivering the bonds to U.S. Bank National Association, the paying agent, that day.
The bonds will fund two types of projects, maintenance and construction. Maintenance needs including hazardous materials removal, heating and air-conditioning renovation and technology infrastructure improvements. Among the construction needs funded by the bonds are the rebuilding of Bellview Elementary, the construction of a high school visual and performing arts complex and the construction of a new gym at Hellman school.
That work will be handled by two primary contractors. The DLR Group, who will do just under $1.5 million in work for the district and ORW Architecture will do $133,000. Approval of the architects' contracts, however, was pulled due to negotiations over the contract language and will hopefully, according to Ashland School District Superintendent Juli DiChiro, be on the agenda for the next meeting.
Additional issues covered included the creation of an Oversight Committee to advise the district during the bond issuance process and a possible reduction in personnel for the 2007-2008 school year, in order to meet budget.
The approval of the consideration of a possible reduction in employees, "sets into motion a process of 30 days of consultation between the District and the teachers' association," said DiChiro. That consultation will allow the teachers to object if they believe their contract is not being followed and will also provide them a time to offer alternatives to staff reduction, if they desire.
A working session of the board is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. in the District Board Room to answer questions by people interested in running for a seat on the board. The next regular session of the board will take place on Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in the Ashland Council Chambers.
