Sean C. Morgan
The District 55 School Board agreed Monday night to commit $25,000 toward the Sweet Home Auditorium Remodel Committee project to repair and improve the high school auditorium.
Board member Jason Redick moved to contribute about half of the cost of the new lighting included in the project, $17,000, plus $8,000 that is the minimum estimate for electrical upgrades necessary to handle the lighting.
SHARC Chairman Ron Sharrah had requested in a letter that the board commit $41,850, the cost of the lighting and the electrical upgrades.
“It is my opinion that the School District-School Board has an opportunity for some good public relations and subsequent recognition within the community for participating in this project,” Sharrah said in a letter to the board. “The remodel will provide enhanced performing arts experiences for the students at Sweet Home High School, Sweet Home (Junior High) School and afford additional public space for the community.”
The board voted 5-2. Voting to commit $25,000 were Chanz Keeney, Redick, Mike Reynolds, David VanDerlip and Kevin Burger. Voting no were Jason Van Eck and Leena Ellis.
A new lighting system will require an upgrade to obsolete electrical panels, said Sharrah, who was unable to attend the meeting Monday night. “The current electrical supply is cobbled together mostly due to the main panel being circa 1940. Breakers are not available and have not been for some time. Each time a breaker went bad or another breaker needed to be added, another panel was added instead.”
The remaining portions of the project include new curtains at a cost of $31,640 and a sound system, $20,167.13.
The total budget for the project is $118,934.20, Sharrah said. To date, SHARC has more than $10,000 in cash from donations, a National Elks Foundation grant and two fund-raising events. In-kind contributions are at $26,884.20, including repairs to the stage, drywall and plaster repairs and painting the interior of the auditorium and stage floor.
“I intend to apply for at least two additional grants from foundations that are available and who support rural community and school district involvement,” Sharrah said. “My expectation of success hinges on a number of factors, which includes community and School District involvement.”
The district’s contribution is necessary to help secure grant funds, Sharrah said.
Sharrah is hoping to complete painting this week.
Money for the district’s contribution are available in its long-term maintenance fund, said Business Manager Kevin Strong. The fund has a balance of about $517,000 now, with about $250,000 in maintenance projects budgeted for this year.
He added that the district may not expend all of the budgeted money, and this project fits the criteria for the fund.
“I’m definitely not comfortable coughing up the $40,000 at this point,” Ellis said. She suggested offering $10,000 to $12,000 to help apply for grants and, if possible, offer to match grants.
“This is such a large project, I don’t want to give money toward it and have it go away,” Ellis said. “We could always add to it later.”
Board members were concerned that with the dated electrical system, the district may need to look at other parts of the building that feed off of the old electrical panels and that costs might rise.
“It’s our burden,” Keeney said, and he thought the district staff should look further at the wiring in that building to get a bigger picture.
Ellis suggested giving $15,000 and committing to take care of electrical improvements as an alternative to Redick’s motion.
Keeney asked whether that would help as SHARC pursues grants, and Supt. Don Schrader said that anything will help.
“I honestly think we can still address those concerns (about wiring) as they come up,” Redick said.
In other business, the board:
– Approved and appropriated $16,213.17 from Linn-Benton-Lincoln Student and Family support Services for quarterly Medicaid administrative claiming.
– Approved and appropriated $8.175 from the Oregon Department of Education to develop formative and interim assessments.
– Approved and appropriated $900 from ODE to support training for students with disabilities.
– Approved and appropriated $8,600 from the ODE Child Nutrition Program to be used to purchase a commercial grade convection oven for the junior high.
– Hired Sue Stewart as a .8 full-time equivalent speech-language pathologist and John Best as a high school PE teacher.