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St. Paul Education Regional Division trustees passed a motion to allocate $1.2 million, from reserves, to support needed work in the areas of needed school facility improvements, inclusion education, transportation, and current year budget deficit support. Board Chair Heather Starosielski, explains SPERD’s investments in facility improvements should total around $500,000.
Most of the work on facility improvements will be done in the summer months, with little disruption to the students, explains Starosielski. “Most of the work can be done in the summer months, but some of it can be done during school, where there’s little impact on the students; stuff like equipment work. For example, Elk Point Elementary, we’re looking at using some money for mobile shelving to consolidate storage issues within the building. That will eliminate using outside storage, that allotment was around $20,000.”
The elementary school in Elk Point won’t be the only facility in the town seeing improvements, FG Miller Jr/Sr High School will also have some work done. “We’re looking at replacing some library flooring, as well as, possibly in the north hallway.” The estimate on that project was around $15,000. “Glen Avon School, which is in St. Paul, we’re looking at a summer system upgrade, which is around a $30,000 fee,” states Staroseilski.
“Heinsberg school, we’re looking at some administration suite redevelopments,” Staroseilski says there will be approximately $20,000 put into that project, “this will allow some better privacy for meetings.” Another $30,000 will go into replacing the gym lights in Mallaig with LED fixtures, “they seem to have an issue with the ones they have now. They create significant maintenance costs, this will help reduce energy consumption.” Myrnam school will have some upgrades to their Home Ec. lab, to the tune of $20,000, including cupboard and countertop replacements. “They’re quite dated and worn,” says Staroseilski, “we’re also looking at doing some painting in the gymnasium.”
In St. Paul, the Racette school recently had some issues with vandalism so the Board has approved installing some additional outdoor lights, which comes with a $7,000 estimate. The Regional High School is home to the Division’s technology central server, says Staroseilski, “we’re looking at putting in an emergency generator, which would operate emergency lighting and our technology. This would benefit, not only Regional High School, but our whole Division. That’s a cost of $75,000.”
There will be another significant cost at the Regional High School, says Staroseilski, “we’re looking at doing the gym ceiling. It’s badly in need of replacement. It’s the tile, not the whole roof; there are issues with the electrical and light replacements.” The ceiling work will come in around $110,000. The Board is looking at enhancing the parking lot at St. Paul Elementary School, “it will create additional space for parent pick up and drop off,” say Staroseilski.
The camera system at Two Hills School may get an upgrade at a cost of $30,000 and the Division is looking at doing some work on the maintenance shop, “we’re looking at upgrading one of our yard tractors and possibly some floor scrubbers.”
“All of that, plus some contingency funding, in case we go over, should total around $500,000,” states Board Chair, Staroseilski.
