MONROE - The Monroe school district plans to replace the high school track next summer and to wait until June 2017 before replacing sections of an elementary school's roof in order to take advantage of changes to the state's prevailing wage law.
Tom Rufenacht, director of buildings and grounds, prioritizes the district's long-term maintenance plan that lists projects that should be completed within the next five years, assigning them a year in which to be completed.
Projects slated for 2016-17 include replacing the track at Monroe High School, replacing a section of Parkside Elementary School's roof and replacing a tractor snow blower at Northside Elementary School.
The track project will start in May and should be finished over the summer, Rufenacht said. It's budgeted for a total cost of $180,000, split between two budget years. The school board delayed the track project last spring due to budget concerns, as it was scheduled to be resurfaced in the summer of 2015.
Rufenacht said the district will wait until June 2017 to replace sections of Parkside's roof, because changes to the prevailing wage law take effect in January and will save the district about $15,000. The project is budgeted in two parts for $90,000 each; a third part was already completed last year for another $90,000, according to Business Administrator Ron Olson.
Legislators repealed part of the state's prevailing wage law in 2015, allowing local governments to pay workers on some public construction projects the minimum wage rates set by the federal government, rather than minimum rates set by the state.
Rufenacht said the roof has been leaking in "crucial spots," such as over the computer lab, since it was put on. "It's been a headache."
Olson wrote in an email that this is the first time the Parkside roof is being replaced since the school was built 30 years ago. Annual inspections, repairs and other expenses related to the roof have cost about $75,000 since 2000. After the project is completed, the new roof sections will be covered by a 20-year warranty.
All of the maintenance projects on the five-year plan will be paid from the long-term maintenance budget, which was at $284,000 in April.
"I really didn't take into account any of these projects being paid for by referendum. We're hoping some will, namely the track," Rufenacht told the school board recently, referring to the district's plan to ask voters this fall to help bolster its budget. "That frees up money on long-term maintenance for other projects.
"If you recall, probably for the last four years for sure, we've been delaying projects because of not enough dollars, like we delayed the track. That pushes something back ... and everything just stacks up," he said.
A recent survey of residents in the Monroe school district showed they would likely pass a three-year referendum of $460,000 per year to help pay for some safety, security and building maintenance projects, such as upgrading the district's phone system, adding more security cameras and installing card access systems at building entrances.
Maintenance projects scheduled for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years include replacing the MHS tennis courts, replacing lockers at Monroe Middle School and upgrading the heating and cooling systems at Northside and Abraham Lincoln elementary schools.
Replacing the MHS tennis courts is one of the priciest items on the long-term maintenance list, with an expected cost of $200,000, split over two budget years.
A section of the roof at MMS is slated to be replaced in 2019-20 for $80,000, the same year the district plans to refurbish the school's clock tower for $70,000. Some high school gym lockers are on deck to be replaced the following year for $90,000. The district plans to remove asbestos fittings at Abe Lincoln in 2020-21.
Rufenacht said the long-term maintenance plan can change from month to month if unexpected, emergency projects come up.
Each project will be brought back to the board individually for approval before the district moves forward with them.
Tom Rufenacht, director of buildings and grounds, prioritizes the district's long-term maintenance plan that lists projects that should be completed within the next five years, assigning them a year in which to be completed.
Projects slated for 2016-17 include replacing the track at Monroe High School, replacing a section of Parkside Elementary School's roof and replacing a tractor snow blower at Northside Elementary School.
The track project will start in May and should be finished over the summer, Rufenacht said. It's budgeted for a total cost of $180,000, split between two budget years. The school board delayed the track project last spring due to budget concerns, as it was scheduled to be resurfaced in the summer of 2015.
Rufenacht said the district will wait until June 2017 to replace sections of Parkside's roof, because changes to the prevailing wage law take effect in January and will save the district about $15,000. The project is budgeted in two parts for $90,000 each; a third part was already completed last year for another $90,000, according to Business Administrator Ron Olson.
Legislators repealed part of the state's prevailing wage law in 2015, allowing local governments to pay workers on some public construction projects the minimum wage rates set by the federal government, rather than minimum rates set by the state.
Rufenacht said the roof has been leaking in "crucial spots," such as over the computer lab, since it was put on. "It's been a headache."
Olson wrote in an email that this is the first time the Parkside roof is being replaced since the school was built 30 years ago. Annual inspections, repairs and other expenses related to the roof have cost about $75,000 since 2000. After the project is completed, the new roof sections will be covered by a 20-year warranty.
All of the maintenance projects on the five-year plan will be paid from the long-term maintenance budget, which was at $284,000 in April.
"I really didn't take into account any of these projects being paid for by referendum. We're hoping some will, namely the track," Rufenacht told the school board recently, referring to the district's plan to ask voters this fall to help bolster its budget. "That frees up money on long-term maintenance for other projects.
"If you recall, probably for the last four years for sure, we've been delaying projects because of not enough dollars, like we delayed the track. That pushes something back ... and everything just stacks up," he said.
A recent survey of residents in the Monroe school district showed they would likely pass a three-year referendum of $460,000 per year to help pay for some safety, security and building maintenance projects, such as upgrading the district's phone system, adding more security cameras and installing card access systems at building entrances.
Maintenance projects scheduled for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years include replacing the MHS tennis courts, replacing lockers at Monroe Middle School and upgrading the heating and cooling systems at Northside and Abraham Lincoln elementary schools.
Replacing the MHS tennis courts is one of the priciest items on the long-term maintenance list, with an expected cost of $200,000, split over two budget years.
A section of the roof at MMS is slated to be replaced in 2019-20 for $80,000, the same year the district plans to refurbish the school's clock tower for $70,000. Some high school gym lockers are on deck to be replaced the following year for $90,000. The district plans to remove asbestos fittings at Abe Lincoln in 2020-21.
Rufenacht said the long-term maintenance plan can change from month to month if unexpected, emergency projects come up.
Each project will be brought back to the board individually for approval before the district moves forward with them.