GOSHEN COUNTY – Most students and school faculty may be more than a month into their summer vacations, but for the district’s maintenance department, there’s still plenty of work to be done.
In the face of budget uncertainty, this summer’s maintenance activity is centered around “asset preservation” – or maintaining what already exists, said Marcy Cates, business manager for Goshen County School District No. 1.
“Our summer projects are much smaller in scope and quantity, as there was an unknown as to future year’s funding when prioritizing projects,” she said.
District maintenance falls on the shoulder of three employees and one full-time groundskeeper. GCSD No. 1 also hires three 32-hour (part-time) mowers during the summer.
In addition, there are four larger projects set for completion this summer using outside contractors. The largest single project will effect repairs to the Central Administration building roof, which costs $665,832. Some $232,450 of the cost of the roof repairs will be paid with insurance proceeds and the remaining amount ($433,382) is funded with major maintenance funds.
Additional projects on deck for the summer include resurfacing of the district track at $76,704; installation of a generator for district technology infrastructure, $58,269; and replacement of carpet in various rooms at Lincoln and Trail Elementary, which has been completed.
“This summer’s projects appear small compared to prior years,” Cates said. “The last two summers, the district was constructing Lingle Elementary along with other larger projects.”
In the future, GCSD No. 1 plans to replace the boilers at Trail and Southeast Elementary.
“In prioritizing projects, the District Building Committee looked at those projects that were of immediate need, those that could be completed in house, and those that could wait,” Cates said. “Thus, the focus was on not depleting all maintenance dollars given the unknown of future years’ funding.”
