Board seeks bids for new boiler

SWAN VALLEY – On April 12, the Swan Valley School Board directed the administration and facilities personnel to seek bids for replacing the boiler, some exterior double doors and the middle school building windows. They also voted to participate in the Montana Aspiring Teacher Residency Program next year.

The school has ESSER funds available until 2024 for building improvements.

The board was hesitant to fix something that isn’t broken regarding the boiler system. Chairman Jimmy Boyd said, “We would buy a new one, and it could be broke down three times in the first three months.”

Chris Auchenbach, facilities, offered he felt a new system would help with controlling temperatures in the individual classrooms. “This thing overshoots right now,” Auchenbach said. “There are some little issues, but I think the actual nuts and bolts of it, the thing’s still awesome. But it could tank any day, life expectancy is 30 years and we’re at 37.”

There was discussion regarding a new high efficiency system versus a similar model. Auchenbach stated the one plumber who returned his call told him the high efficiency models are prone to issues with power outages and only have a warranty for 10 years. The similar model to what is currently in place has a 25-year warranty.

The board decided after discussion of available ESSER funds, which expire in two years, to seek bids on a boiler system similar to the one currently in place.

Principal Aaron Morgenstern presented the board with information regarding the Montana Aspiring Teacher Residency Program being offered by Montana Office of Public Instruction. The program is a variation on student teaching for rural areas. It is a yearlong residency program that brings in preservice teachers who would be in their last year of studies, Morgenstern said.

“OPI is doing some major kind of subsidizing of this program to see if this would be a good alternative to getting our rural communities across all of Montana better staffed,” Morgenstern said. “The applicants for this program have to agree to a few things. They have to agree to teach in a rural community for two years after this program, not necessarily the one that they’re at the residency.”

In order to participate the District has to agree to provide housing, Morgenstern said. Community member Ralph King offered to provide his little AirBNB condo for the school year for $1,000 per month including utilities. The District cost would be $9,000 - $10,000 for the school year.

“We can’t hire a para for that,” said Morgenstern.

“We already have a couple people who would be interested in coming here,” Morgenstern continued. There is a teacher who is interested in supervising a student. There would be an interview process.

The board approved participating in the program for the 2022-23 school year. District Clerk Heather Mincey advised that ESSER funds could be used to fund the position.

The board also approved:

• Hiring of Assistant Track Coach Boomer Alexander.

• Approved 2022-23 School Calendar.

• Approval to offer Letters of Intent to teachers Colleen Harrington, Chris Mauldin, Jamie Matthew and Aaron Morgenstern.

• Approved FY 2023 Medical Insurance.

The next Swan Valley School Board meeting will be May 11 at 7 p.m. At the request of the staff, the board will consider an increase in base pay. Mincey will review the budget and present ways to possibly provide an increase to the staff pay at the next meeting.