|
DICK MASON/The Observer football field Sprinkler system: Greg Scott operates a trencher to create a portion of the holes needed for the installation of an underground sprinkler system at Elgin High School’s football field Monday. The sprinkler system will be paid for with money from a $1 million interest-free loan the Elgin School District recently received. Scott is with Hurricane Creek Landscape of Enterprise.
ELGIN — This may be remembered as the Elgin School District’s million dollar summer.
A summer at least three years in the making. One providing a sense of hope for a school district long daunted with budget issues.
The Elgin School District received a $1 million interest-free loan at the start of the summer through a federal Qualified School Construction Bond program. The loan is for renovation and maintenance projects. About $700,000 of it is being spent this summer for projects ranging from the installation of new flooring and windows to the repaving of Elgin High School’s track.
Work started last month and already significant progress is evident. Most of the hallways at Stella Mayfield School and four of its classrooms have been repainted, two classrooms at Elgin High School have been repainted and new carpet has been put in the high school’s business classroom.
This is only the beginning. More renovation work will be done over the next six weeks. Classes will not be in session but the district’s buildings and grounds will be alive with activity as much needed projects are completed. Work that has to be put off for years because of budget problems brought on by reduced state funding.
“This is a huge boost for us in terms of catching up on maintenance issues in the school district,’’ said Elgin School Board Chairman Bud Scoubes.
Elgin School Board member Shelley Burgess shares this sentiment.
“It is very exciting to see improvements in school buildings needed for so long,’’ she said.
Following are a portion of the projects that will be complete by the time classes begin Aug. 23:
• carpet will be replaced in all the hallways of Stella Mayfield School with VCT tile.
• carpet in four classrooms of the Stella Mayfield annex will be replaced with VCT tile.
• all 72 of the lockers for Stella Mayfield junior high level students will be replaced.
• the west and south entrances to Stella Mayfield will be made handicapped accessible.
• some entrance steps and two landings they are connected to at Stella Mayfield will be replaced.
• all exterior doors at Stella Mayfield and the high school will be replaced.
• the outside handrails at Stella Mayfield will be replaced.
• the high school roof may be repaired and half of it replaced. Should it be determined there is not enough time for this, the roof work will be done next summer with money from the QSCB loan.
• the high school track will be repaired and resurfaced. No track meets have been held on the oval for about three years because of its poor condition.
• underground sprinkler systems will be installed at the high school football and baseball fields plus its practice field. The underground sprinklers will save the school district money because pipe will no longer have to be hauled to water the fields.
• all windows will be replaced at the high school and Stella Mayfield. The new windows will provide better insulation, saving the school district significantly on fuel costs.
• additional security cameras will be installed at the high school and Stella Mayfield.
• the carpet in the school district’s office building will be replaced.
• two restrooms in Stella Mayfield’s annex will be remodeled.
• new tile floors will be installed in the boys and girls locker rooms at Stella Mayfield.
• exterior lighting at the high school is being upgraded.
DICK MASON/The Observer Steven Cragun removes old carpet from the Elgin School District’s administration office building Monday. New carpet is now being put in. The carpet replacement is one of many projects funded with money from a $1 million interest-free loan the Elgin School District recently received. Cragun works for Carpet One Floor & Home in La Grande.
Dave Milner, the district’s maintenance supervisor, is overseeing the renovation work. He said things are hectic now as crews work to get projects done before school starts in Aug. 23, but he welcomes the opportunity the loan is providing to get important projects done.
“These upgrades have been badly needed for many, many years. I’m very excited to see the work being done,’’ Milner said.
The details and complications Milner has to deal with are many as he guides the enormous renovation effort. The high school roof is an example. The roof repair and replacement can not start until power lines crossing over it are moved underground. The reason is that the work will raise the pitch of the roof, placing it too close to the power lines which now pass over it to meet safety standards.
Milner is now working with an electric company that will get the power lines placed underground.
The interest-free $1 million loan the district received for the renovation work came via The Bank of New York Mellon, Seattle-Northwest Securities Corp. and an unnamed insurance company. All three are involved in the federal Qualified School Construction Bond program. The insurance company will receive a federal tax credit for its involvement.
The Elgin School District worked with McLiney & Co. of Kansas City, Mo., to get the loan. The firm helps school districts receive the QSCB loans. The Elgin School District worked for about three years to obtain the loan.
The Elgin School District has agreed to make payments of about $70,000 a year for 15 years to pay off the loan.
|
