School officials eye repairs to Shannon Elementary, high school HVAC

Monticello school officials shared some of the summer’s primary projects underway around the district at an Aug. 13 school board meeting.

     The district’s director of buildings and grounds, Dennis Dirks, said the boiler at Shannon Elementary has a leak and was tested, drilled and sent away to see if it is thick enough to be welded.

     At the high school, Dirks said six heat pumps have failed.

     “Last year we didn’t have any (fail), but through the summer, we’re up to six. More were ordered in April and they still aren’t here,” Dirks said.

     Dirks added that each pump costs $6,000 - $9,000 with installation.

     “The good news is that we can cycle them every morning to keep them working until we get the new ones in,” Dirks said. “We’ve done everything we can do to keep them rolling for the rest of the year.”

     See page A4 for a detailed update on additions and enhancements to Monticello school buildings. 

      Tim Lambert, Monticello Community School District activities director, told the board Aug. 13 that the school is working on going cashless for sporting events. 

     Lambert added the district is utilizing a new vendor for activities-related communication. Bound, he said, is a one-stop shop for a lot of things regarding sports teams, clubs and activities. He noted that starting this fall, all teams and activities will use Bound to send messages to athletes, parents and sponsors.

     He then touted the school’s athletics performance in general. 

     “Our sports team had an outstanding year: football advanced to the playoffs, volleyball reached the regional finals for the first time ever, we had boys and girls qualify for state cross country, we had a state runner-up in bowling, a state wrestling qualifier and Donnie (Kremer) and my teams each won a lot of games,” Lambert said.

     In the action items, the board approved canceling the Sept. 10 work session due to homecoming week.

     First readings of the following board policies were also approved: open meetings, recruitment of personnel, abuse of students by district employees, compulsory attendance, anti-bullying and harassment, anti-bullying/anti-harassment complaint form, student health and immunizations, basic instructional program, health/human growth and development education and graduation requirements.

     As part of the action items, the following personnel items were approved: resignations – Diane Joslin as special education program associate, Laurie Hermsen as custodian/maintenance/bus driver and Tammy Brown as food service employee; appointments – Chelsea Moeller as preschool program associate, Amber Chapman, Amber Shallenberger and Dezirae Smith as special education program associates, Dixie Shady as health associate, Nicole Monk as food service employee and Brittney Boysen as a special education program associate; transfers – Ashley Moyer from HS special education program associate to HS support room associate, Langston Chaney and Navaeh Norton from summer Panther academy associates to year round Panther academy associates and Kristin Weideman involuntary transfer from special education program associate at Carpenter to special education associate at Shannon.