HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees convened on Thursday evening for a Board Planning workshop.
Among items discussed was project updates.
The Ameresco Energy Audit is still ongoing, and much of the work that the audit will call for may be pushed to next year. This includes asbestos abatement at Highland Park. This project is being funded through ESSER COVID-relief dollars.
Superintendent Craig Mueller said that the District has received grant funding for the reception of two electric buses, which should save them money on fuel. They are now looking at the possibility of having solar powered block heaters in the bus barn.
In terms of athletics, there are several projects on the horizon. One of them is a resurfacing of the tennis courts, which may not be able to be done until spring 2023. The District is working with the city on acquiring the courts near the High School, potentially via donation, and a bid for resurfacing has come in at $68,880. This could potentially be paid for by a USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) grant.
A track resurfacing proposal for the Middle School was also discussed. Although the track was patch repaired in 2019, the repairs have not lasted and the track is cracking, and the contractor will not help rectify the issue. The District has received a bid for resurfacing from Beynon Sports Company in Oregon, with a cost of $435,000 for a non-draining track, or $553,000 for a track that drains. The contractor guaranteed the resurfacing would hold for at least five years. This project needs to go through a formal bid process and go through Board approval.
In terms of project updates regarding academics, the District is continuing to work to put together an after school program at Highland Park in cooperation with the Boys & Girls Club. As proposed, this would provide extended day activities for 60 K-1 students at Highland Park. The District would help fund the program in year one ($41,414 in ARPA funds), but the expectation would be for the Boys & Girls Club to handle costs after that.
Before the meeting adjourned, there was a discussion about school safety in the wake of the tragic shooting in Uvalde.
School officials said they have standard response protocols and have had staff and students go through trainings to prepare for a worst case scenario.
For example, older students have been taught how to barricade doors and even take down an active shooter.
Students and staff have permission to break windows to evacuate in an emergency, and they have video surveillance and door-locking mechanisms throughout the district’s buildings.
Sunnyside Principal Pax Haslem said it is important to consider everyone’s emotional well-being, saying he had spent much of the week counseling students that have felt impacted by the shooting at Robb Elementary.
