The Salem Grade School Board voted to move forward Thursday night on two new buildings, a new Franklin Park parking lot, and other major renovation work.
Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe says the work will be largely possible through approval of their $4,132,355 ESSER III grant request that was given final approval just before the start of the meeting. The ESSER grant will also provide $766,059 in loss of learning funds to help students catch up as a result of the school shutdowns due to COVID-19. The loss of learning programs will include the continued after school program, summer enrichment, and the purchase of new curriculum materials.
The board approved the purchase of a new modular classroom building from JMO Modular at a cost of $388,000 and a $15,000 credit for the existing modular building. Foppe says the new building will provide much needed classroom space.
“The modular building will have four classrooms. This one we have now only has 2. It will have 2 bathrooms with 3 stalls in each. Right now we have one toilet. So we are very excited about the possibilities that will open up because we are out of room and that will add 2 extra classrooms.”
The other new building is a 100 by 50 foot “recess building” that will be constructed in front of Hawthorn School near the current location of the flagpole. The cost of the building will be $543,000 plus $85,000 for the concrete pad that will hold the building. Foppe says right now kids don’t get recess in bad weather because the current gym is also the cafeteria.
“In that building right now hwat we will have is just a big large building with a gym floor and basketball goals. But then we will bring in all our P.E. equipment over there so just building it and getting it going with the floor is the main goal and we can add things as needed but it will be our gym.”
Foppe says the new building should also help with scheduling sports practices.
In total, improvements this summer in the Salem Grade School District will total $2.9-million.
Other work includes a new $1.4-million parking lot at Franklin Park with paved surfaces and roadways along with a bus lane and lighting. Franklin Park will also have asbestos floor tile throughout the building replaced with new tile at a cost of $255,000 and a new epoxy kitchen floor installed at a cost of just over $18,000.
A new gym floor will also be laid, but that $175,000 cost is being borne by insurance money. The floor was damaged by water during construction last summer. A volleyball court will be added at a cost of $3,600.
The board also approved a contract addendum with Omni Energy Partners to manage the additional construction work.
In personnel action, the board approved the resignation of part-time cook Susan Sallicutte, baseball coach Tyson Moore and paraprofessional Beth Ann Parker. The board also approved moving Elyse Dorff to the 6th-grade language arts position. Kristina Cane was hired as a part-time cook and Cassandra Bossomworth as a paraprofessional.
