THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2008
District 78 Approves Summer Projects
By RICHARD MAYER
Journal Reporter
Rosemont Elementary School Dist. 78 board members Monday approved several projects in the amount of $37,447.50 that will be conducted over the summer and completed prior to school beginning in August.
Two security doors will be installed near the main office in the amount of $18,800.
According to Supt. Kevin Anderson, magnetic switches will be installed so any individual who enters the school must report to the office prior to walking the hallways.
Currently, there are no doors blocking anyone from walking in, but Anderson emphasized there have never been any incidents detrimental to the safety of students or staff.
In order for the doors to be installed, demolition and debris work must take place, along with electrical work, removing the metal gate and repairing the opening in the front of the building. The cost for this project is $4,600.
The third project consists of adding underground sprinkler heads to the school's ball fields in the amount of $7,862.50. However, this cost will be split evenly between the school district and park district.
Anderson said currently a staff member tends to the ball field and manually waters the area with a hose. He said the new system will conserve water usage and the system will not turn on if it rains.
The last project is to add soil, grade and sod to the baseball field area in the amount of $6,185, which will be evenly split between the school district and park district.
According to Anderson, when the concession stand was constructed last summer, some of the grass was torn up. This project will replace the area that was damaged by the construction.
In other school board news:
* Anderson proposed to the board installing rubberized woodchips at the playground located in front of the school. Every year, the school has to replace the current woodchips, but with the rubberized chips, it can last approximately 10-15 years, Anderson said. The chips would cost approximately $10,000 but Anderson has not received official price quotes as of yet. This "upgrade" could be approved at the May or June board of education meeting.
* Sixth graders will be traveling down to Springfield this Friday and will return on Saturday. Students will visit the Lincoln Memorial, the state capital and the Amish Center.
Eighth grade students will leave for Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Apr. 30 and will return on Saturday, May 3. Students will visit Gettysburg and the Smithsonian Institute, lay a wreath at Arlington Cemetery and possibly take a tour of the Capital.
* Basketball hoops are up and running after new motorized lifts were installed. Also, the pool is completely functional once again, after the issue stemmed from a problem with the filtering tank, because the tank pipe was corroded out.
* The May school board meeting has been changed from Monday, May 12 to Tuesday, May 20. The reason for the change is due to Board Secretary Dolores Wilson being unable to make the meeting on May 12.
Anderson said a dinner will occur at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Board meeting, where the parents will be recognized. Also on May 20, the district will host an Appreciation Night for parents who have volunteered throughout the year.