LH school district readies facilities for coming year
As the start of school nears, members of the Laurel Highlands School Board learned last week about preparations to ready the buildings for the upcoming school year. Craig McKee, supervisor of the district’s buildings and grounds, said custodians were cleaning and waxing the high school interior and are ahead of schedule in anticipation of a visit from Gerald Zahorchak, the state Secretary of Education.
Richard Barron, district chief of security, said two rows of parking near the high school will be reserved for the event and teachers will use the student parking lot that day.
McKee, hired by the board in June, replaced former buildings and grounds director Jesse Wallace, who was paid a stipend to perform the duties while principal at Marshall Elementary School.
Attending the meeting were directors Norma Santore, chairwoman of the committee, and Lyn Andaloro, co-chairwoman of the committee, as well as Beverly Beal, Curtis Jacobs and Bill Elias.
Absent were directors Jim Tobal, Tom Vernon, Angelo Giachetti and Mary Conway.
McKee said the water problem at Hutchinson Elementary School should be alleviated after Seiler Excavating, hired by the board in May, replaced damaged drainpipe and changed the contour of the ground.
“I don’t anticipate seeing a flood of water on the basketball court,” said McKee.
Elias indicated that he hopes the renovation of the high school does not involve the same problems as those encountered by the district with the renovation of Hutchinson.
“When you’re going to renovate a building, the landscaping comes along with that. It just seems this wasn’t done (at Hutchinson) and we can’t repeat the same pattern (with the high school renovation),” Elias said.
Dr. Gary Brain, superintendent, said the design of the project and how it is overseen will be keys to success.
“We need to get someone who understands that building and works for us, who will be our eyes,” said Brain, adding that McKee can help, but will not be able to oversee the entire project. “I think we’re on the right track.”
McKee indicated he communicates with Eckles Architecture and Engineering of New Castle, who the board hired in April to conduct a district-wide feasibility study as an initial step before renovating the high school.
McKee recommended that when the board approves a bond issue to renovate the high school to include enough money to upgrade the phone system district-wide.
McKee noted that newly hired maintenance worker David G. Franks, who has a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning business, was able to repair an air-conditioning unit at the middle school.
“We really got lucky,” said McKee, referring to Franks’ ability to make repairs.
McKee recommended three hallways with heavy traffic flow in the middle school be re-painted so the walls look better and repairs are less labor intensive.
Brain said the middle school principal wants the building spruced up in anticipation of a visit from PBS, which is expected to film a two-hour show on the school’s anti-bullying campaign.
McKee said he and representatives of the warranty company last week identified visible leaks at Clark Elementary School.
“I rate all (the leaks) as bad,” said McKee. “I expect every issue to be addressed (by the warranty company).”
Carpet was replaced in three kindergarten rooms at Hatfield Elementary School, he said.
Cleaning and maintenance repairs at Marshall Elementary School are well under way, he added.
Floor repairs at the high school field house and improvements to the baseball field must be placed on hold until school has started, said McKee.
Barron updated the district on a couple of security measures. He recommended that district employees reapply for a key or a code used to access buildings so the district knows who actually has access to the schools.
“We’re trying to identify who needs after hours access,” said Barron.
Barron noted two security concerns.
He said he discovered the field house alarm disarmed yet locked after someone left the building and youths and a staff member in the gym of a school building with restricted access one evening.
“It’s our liability if someone gets hurt,” said Barron.