School to start on time

Barring further setbacks the start of the 2015 school year will begin on schedule the McCreary County Board of Education learned Tuesday night.

During their regular monthly meeting, the Board heard an update on the ongoing construction and repair projects underway at three schools throughout the district.

Melinda Joseph-Dezarn, of Ross Tarrant Architects was present to provide a progress report on the projects already underway, and to seek approval for two additional pending projects.

Also on hand was Larry Riddle, owner of Riddle Construction, the contractor hired to install a new roof at Pine Knot Intermediate School.

That project has caused concern over delays and damage caused by a larger than expected rainfall this month.

Riddle stated his crew is over half-way completed on installing new shingles on the roof, and expects the renovation of the roof to be fully completed by August 7. Other aspects of the project, such as installing new fascia, gutters and soffits will not be done by the start of school, but will not impact class schedule. Riddle said his crews would work after school and on weekends to complete those projects, and expects to have those completed by August 22.

He admitted his crews may have been a “little overzealous” at the onset of the project by removing a larger portion of the roof than was necessary in order to get the work done faster. The wet weather over the July 4th weekend caught the contractor by surprise, and as a result, the school suffered water damage to some portions of the interior. That damage would be fixed, with no additional cost to the District, Riddle said.

Acting Superintendent Mike Cash stated the Technology Department would be at the school this week to begin work on the network and phone lines, bringing the system back on line.

Additionally, with the project expected to be completed more than a week before the start of school, the maintenance staff should have sufficient time to clean and prepare the building before the August 19 start date.

The installation of the new gym floor at McCreary Central High School is underway and on schedule with more than 50 percent of the new floor installed. That project is expected to be finished by the end of August, but won’t hinder classes being held once school starts.

The Board approved two BG-1’s related to McCreary Middle School. The first begins the process to start emergency repairs to the foundation and other structural issues in the school, while the second is to start the planning process for installing a new roof.

The final project the Board approved was to begin planning to install a new locker-room facility at the high school softball field. The Board looked at two options, one with a second story press box added, and one without. No final decision had to be made at the meeting.

The project will also include repairs and renovation for the baseball field house.

In other Board actions: the Board voted to change their regular meeting date to the second Thursday of the month to better accommodate the Board member schedules, as well as Board Attorney Jeff Hoover.

Coincidently, that meeting date will be on the same evening as the McCreary County Fiscal Court meeting.

The Board rejected three received bids for mowing the grounds at District schools. Cash recommended rejecting the bids, noting the mowing season is almost completed, and the District could use substitute maintenance workers to do the job for the time being.

In the actions by consent the Board approved the reorganization of three Central Office positions, adding additional duties to existing positions. The new assignments did not create new positions Cash stated.

The next regular scheduled meeting of the McCreary County Board of Education will be on August 13, at 6:30 p.m.