Swan Valley School Board
SWAN VALLEY – The Swan Valley Elementary School Board continued their discussion regarding the new school sign. They also reviewed a list of facility maintenance projects and discussed how they could move forward.
Trustee Jimmy Boyd presented the board with a different sign design than the four by eight foot sign on a four-foot pedestal that was discussed at the March meeting. He found a design for a 66-inch by 16-inch wooden sign with a three-foot wide stone base on an 18-inch concrete footer that would utilize the LED display. The LED portion of the sign is priced at $1,770.
“I think this would look like it belonged in the Swan Valley better than the [pedestal sign],” said Boyd.
Boyd also said this sign design, while significantly more expensive initially, would allow the school to capitalize on local resources and talent through volunteer materials and labor. The cost of this higher quality sign could be potentially lower as there is more opportunity for local contractors to donate time and materials to cover some of the cost.
“It may be a way to get something everyone is proud of,” said Boyd.
The board discussed the higher maintenance that a wooden sign requires. They agreed this could be mitigated through creating a maintenance plan.
Swan Valley resident Sue Cushman said she liked the stone and wood design much better, however, the LED display was the egregious part of the sign. She added that everyone she has talked to is concerned with the school spending an exorbitant amount of money on a lighted message board.
Board Chair John Mercer said the board does nothing in isolation. This is just one piece identified in the strategy plan that they revise annually. The strategic plan outlines the greater whole for the school and allows them to work on multiple projects at the same time.
Mercer said the board doesn’t have a set amount budgeted for the sign, nor have they made a decision about whether to install the sign. They are still in the design phase and depending on the community support, the cost could be significantly less than the numbers quoted in the meetings. Just because they are exploring the options on the sign, does not mean they are going to spend “a bunch of money on a sign. We have not made that decision,” said Mercer.
Once the board has the numbers from the design exploration, then they can assess competing needs for the funding and assign importance and rank them based on parameters. This happens before anything will move forward.
“This is not going to take away from any other aspect that the school needs,” said Mercer. “We would never make that decision.”
Boyd will continue putting together costs for the sign. They will continue the discussion at the May meeting.
Trustee Randy Williams and Swan Valley School Custodian Dar Kearney presented the board with a list of facility maintenance needs. Insulating the library and the main school building along with installing a boiler in the gym and junior high building topped the list of priorities presented to the board. Mercer said the discussion is timely because the board must present the Office of Public Instruction with a list of facility maintenance needs by July 1 in order to take advantage of funding that was recently approved by the Montana Legislature and signed into law by Governor Steve Bullock.
Currently two overhead propane heaters heat the gymnasium. Williams will pursue estimates for an electric and a propane boiler for the gymnasium to present to the board next month.
Williams said the energy audit several years ago showed they lost a lot of heat through the walls and windows. The board discussed many options about how to better insulate the walls of the library and the main building.
Mercer said that while energy savings is important, it shouldn’t be the main focus for the improvements. The focus should be making the room more comfortable, eliminate cold spots and improve exterior appearance.
Other priorities included making a door to connect the two junior high rooms allowing the teacher to monitor both more easily, painting the exterior of the gym and installing two new hot water tanks.
The board will look into some ballpark costs for the recommended projects. Mercer said all the proposed projects come together to make a renovation project.
“The maintenance has been deferred forever here,” said Mercer. “This list isn’t a whole lot different than the list we submitted in 2005.”
The discussion will continue at the next meeting. The board also hopes to have more information about the state funding that could offset the costs.
In other business:
• The board reviewed the job description for the volunteer custodian/boiler volunteer agreement for a one-year term. Superintendent Chris Stout didn’t feel a formal agreement was necessary. They agreed to allow the Montana School Board Association to review the agreement and would act on it next month.
The next school board meeting with be held May 14 at 7 p.m. at Swan Valley Elementary School.
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