At their board meeting on Aug. 11, the Dolores RE-4A school board received updates about their BEST grant building project, heard concerns from parents about the first day of elementary school pickup and were provided updates about the upcoming board election, among other items.
Two Dolores moms addressed the board with concerns about the first day of elementary school pickup, noting a “mess” that kept both parents and children waiting for an extended period of time.
Both mothers said the current format for pickup is “not sustainable” and that “pickup was a mess.” They asked about ways to make pickup more efficient, as pickup was adjusted this year due to school construction.
Later on, in discussion items, board member Clay Tallmadge asked about the concerns regarding the flow of child pickup and how it can be addressed.
Because of the small campus, it was noted that there aren’t many options for traffic flow, but Superintendent Alesa Reed said she had met with general contractor Jaynes Corp., the Sheriff’s Office and administrative team to choose the best pickup route.
While the first day is always slow, Reed said that the same route would be utilized for a week before a meeting will be held to address ways to improve. One possible option would be rerouting buses to the back of campus.
In business items, the board received an update on the building projects over Zoom. Though the project was “a little over budget” since the last meeting in June, the board was told that the budget is now balanced, and the decisions made to balance the budget did not affect the scope or design intentions of the project.
The next step will be ensuring the budget is reconciled with construction documents. It was also emphasized that there will be the presence of heavy machinery for the construction of the foundations until the end of the year. The foundation permit was obtained last week, and despite a late start for the laying of the new high school’s foundation (about a delay of three weeks), the building projects is still on its projected timeline.
They have also received their first reimbursement from BEST.
On another Zoom call, the board was told that the plans for the designs for flood mitigation are still in process, and once those are finished, the board will be able to start receiving estimated costs.
The board is also considering which material to use for the new track, and whether or not to do six lanes or eight lanes. Board member Casey McClellan asked that health concerns for the specific materials be addressed.
When asked about what people can expect to see in August on campus, the foundation was once again discussed.
There are expected to be around 300 micropiles on campus. Micropiles were described as hollow rods that can go 20 to 40 feet into the earth and will be pumped with grout to get “an ideal bearing of strength.”
In her superintendent report, Reed shared that the “first day of school went great” and celebrated the “super” turnout for the parent night that took place prior to the start of school.
She added that the schools are fully staffed, other than a few open positions for math.
In discussion items, the board discussed the upcoming school board elections in November, saying the deadline to become a candidate is Friday, Aug. 29, at noon. Though the deadline is upcoming, there is still time for those interested to become candidates. There are two director positions opening, and both seats will last for four years.
The board also talked about various potential dates for a “meet the candidate” night, but didn’t nail down a for-sure date at this meeting.
In action items, the board approved the following new hires: Shauna O’Brien as a payroll specialist, Abbie Lillebo as a fifth grade teacher, Orin Hainey as a high school offensive/defensive line coach, John Conolly as a middle school math, Krystal McCoy as a preschool para, Nichole Myers as a preschool teacher, Andy Lewis as a biology teacher, Leigh Sand as a school nurse substitute, Travis Rantz as a math/business teacher, Kenia Reina as an elementary paraprofessional and Rebecca Johnson as an elementary permanent substitute.
