School board receives updates on building, budget

It’s possible the new second- and third-grade classroom building at Stony Creek School is going to be done by the first day of school on Aug. 26.

Williston’s New Public School District 8 School Board member Dave Rockstad informed the board during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday morning the framing on the building was completed Monday. Superintendent Greg McNary added the facility’s interior also is painted.

“The only thing that might be slow is the bathrooms,” Rockstad said, referring to the fact bathrooms must be added to the structure.

The modular building was delivered Aug. 4.

It replaces the one that was damaged this past March 24 in a fire.

In case the new facility isn’t ready by Aug. 26, McNary said there’s a plan so students don’t have to be bused to Round Prairie.

Dave Heinrich coordinated the process of getting the building from Hatton, where it was housed, to Stony Creek east of Williston, as Heinrich, “took the bull by the horns,” McNary said.

In an unrelated matter, the board touched on the district’s preliminary budget. McNary said it’s a “very, very” preliminary budget. It’s still necessary for the Budget Team to meet once more before the board can approve it.

“We haven’t negotiated with the teachers, and we have a few other loose ends to tie up,“ McNary said.

It appears the 2009-2010 budget may finish in the black by $65,000, he said. The board decided the Budget Team would meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the district office at 1201 9th Ave. N.W. in Williston to go over the budget.

The board tentatively set a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. the same day for possible approval of the preliminary budget.

A tentative date of Aug. 20 is set for the Negotiations Team.

Meanwhile, the board gave McNary authority to look for another insurance company. McNary expressed his dissatisfaction with the North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund, which he said is unreliable.

Most recently, the reserve fund claimed damage to the district’s Garden Valley school roof was due to poor maintenance, as opposed to storm damage, so it isn’t covering the damage.

The east side of the roof was damaged, the board claims, from a possible tornado that hit July 4.

McNary said there were problems with getting insurance coverage for the Stony Creek fire as well. He wants to explore some local insurance companies.

Meanwhile, there’s money in the budget to repair the roof, so the board approved a bid from Natwick Roofing Inc. of Williston for $7,347 to make the repairs.

In other business, the board:

*Gave McNary authority to seek a cooperative with the Williston Public School District 1 for girls’ junior high basketball.

Garden Valley currently has three girls who love to play basketball.

McNary wants them to have a chance to play with a good team.

*Heard from new technology coordinator Scott Egge about projects he’s been working on.

These projects include education Web site training, inventory organization, computer software organization and SmartBoard installation coordination.

*Approved Sarah Boston as a new fifth- and sixth-grade teacher for Stony Creek.