Auditorium, special ed dominate USD 408 meeting years ago
Stung by past problems with leaking roofs at Marion Elementary School, Marion/Florence USD 408 board members focused their attention at Monday's meeting on avoiding similar problems with the planned auditorium for the Marion High School/Middle School campus.
Greg Tice, project manager/architect with Spangenberg Phillips Architecture, reviewed modifications to the auditorium plans, and fielded concerns of board members the roof had too little slope to provide adequate drainage.
The plan calls for a roof utilizing a synthetic membrane, rather than asphalt composite materials, with a slope of 1/4-inch per foot, and which would be concealed from view by parapets.
Board president Rex Savage expressed concern, echoed by several board members, the roof pitch and design could allow undetected cracks and pooling water, creating leaks.
"The parapet is a point for that membrane to crack and tear without being seen," Savage suggested. "The faster the water is gone, the better."
Tice countered that the synthetic membrane system differed significantly from past roof construction methods, and noted it would be installed by workers trained specifically for the task.
"You have to have certification to put these on," Tice explained. "This is newer technology, and it's been performing great."
Tice and the board debated additional options for the roof, including increasing the pitch, eliminating parapets, and installation of gutters.
In the end, Tice agreed to revise the plans to increase the roof slope to 1/2-inch per foot, while retaining the planned parapets and drainage system.
Board member Chris Sprowls expressed concern over parking for the facility, noting existing spaces would be relocated, while no additional parking would be created.
"People who are coming to the auditorium dressed up are not going to want to walk three or four blocks like they do for a basketball game," he said.
Special Education
Board members engaged in lengthy discussion regarding lingering opposition to Marion County Special Education Cooperative's exploration of construction of new facilities for cooperative programs.
USD 408 superintendent Lee Leiker reported to the board on a conversation with Kansas Association of School Board representatives regarding the district's lease with the cooperative for use of district facilities in Florence.
Leiker indicated it was KASB's interpretation the lease agreement would not obligate the district to any actions the cooperative might pursue relative to construction of new facilities.
Board member Keith Collett expressed concern that while the interlocal agreement establishing the cooperative requires all five members to approve any new construction initiative, the cooperative might be able to circumvent that by pursuing a long-term lease-purchase agreement with another district.
The board revisited two motions regarding its relationship with the cooperative from its July meeting that had been tabled.
Noting the cooperative has scheduled a February meeting with the boards of all five participating districts, Collett withdrew a motion that had threatened USD 408 withdrawal from the cooperative if communication regarding potential relocation did not improve.
Collett also withdrew a motion that would have provided written notice to the cooperative to vacate the Florence facilities.
In place of those motions, Collett offered a new one, seconded by Lyle Leppke, in which USD 408 would provide notice of intent to withdraw from the cooperative at the end of the current fiscal year, if MCSEC attempted to enter into a property lease-purchase, rental, or purchase agreement for providing special education services for more than $40,000, which is the price the cooperative pays to lease the Florence facilities.
Following extended discussion, the motion failed on a 3-3 vote. Collett, Leppke and Savage voted for the motion, while Sarah Cope, Jan Helmer, and Kathy Meierhoff voted against it.
Board members then agreed to wait and see what happens at the joint meeting of participating districts in February before determining what actions, if any, USD 408 should take with regards to the cooperative.
Leppke relayed a request from MCSEC to reconsider the proposed three-year, $40,000-year lease agreement, which would replace the current $50,000 annual pact. The board reaffirmed its commitment to the original proposal.
MAP and State Assessments
Leiker delivered a Powerpoint presentation summarizing the performance of district students on MAP and state assessment tests administered during the 2005-06 academic year.
With few exceptions, USD 408 students are performing at or above state averages in math and reading, and are comfortably ahead of annual yearly progress targets, Leiker reported.
Leiker pointed out numerous instances in which the percentage of students scoring in the top categories had increased, a trend he emphasized must continue for the district to stay on track in meeting increasingly stringent performance goals in the years ahead.
"It's not good enough just to eliminate the bottom," Leiker said. "We also have to concentrate on how many students are in the top categories."
In other business, the board:
— Heard a presentation from Alex Case of Case & Son Insurance regarding district insurance for 2007, and approved the annual premium of $81,449.
— Modified the scheduled Feb. 2, 2007, early release day to full inservice days, with no classes, for elementary and middle school teachers, so they may receive advanced training related to assessments.
— Met in executive session for 15 minutes to consider personnel and negotiation issues. No action was taken following the session.
