Throughout the year, I have mentioned the great work of everyone involved in our strategic planning process. This month, I would like to highlight the work of the Facilities and Resources to Support Learning Team, co-chaired by Gerald Van Roekel (School Board President) and Mark Gunderson (Athletic Director). Other members included Brian De Kock, Seth Hulst, Carrina Huss, Ronda Pottebaum, Shannon Puttman, Bruce Schutt, Jennifer Vortherms, and Darlo Zeutenhorst.
The building principals and custodians led this team on guided tours of each of the school buildings in the District. After concluding the tours, the team developed a list of potential projects and gave them a priority ranking. From this information, a list of potential projects was developed for the School Board’s consideration.
Funding for these types of projects is generated through the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) and the state-wide sales tax for school infrastructure. In order to maximize the benefits of the various improvement projects for our students, we are now working with Piper-Jaffray to arrange a financing structure that allows us to complete the majority of the projects in the next two years and extend the payments over several years.
Below is a partial list of projects in the extended plan:
| Technology Upgrades | Boiler Systems |
| Paint & Resurface OCE Gym | Renovate & Resurface MS Gym |
| Paint & Refinish Hospers Gym | Upgrade HS Fire Alarm System |
| Build Science Room/Labs @ HS | Upgrade Family & Consumer Science Area |
| Update & Repair Auditorium | Update & Remodel HS Media Center |
| Update locker Rooms (MS & HS) | Repair OCE Main Entrance |
| Update Baseball/Softball Area & Athletic Practice Fields | Reclaim Classroom in Hospers & MS |
| Update classrooms throughout the District | Playground Concrete @ Hospers |
| Ongoing General Maintenance, Roofing, Paving , etc . . . | Preschool Expansion |
| Curb & Gutter work @ MS |
While many of the smaller projects will be completed by our talented maintenance staff, we have employed Neumann Monson Wictor Architects to develop and manage the larger projects.