Last month, the board of education approved renovating the Commons area as an “add-on” job. It was approved with a price tag not to exceed $400,000. Rayl told the board that work will come in around $330,000 to $340,000. (The funds come from the district’s and Neenan Archistruction’s contingency funds.)
Now the Commons also will be getting air-conditioning. The board was told the current unit for the commons supports only heat. The recommendation was to put in a new unit that supports heat and A/C, for a cost between $70,000 to $100,000.
The board was told the construction budget can support the extra cost. Rayl said that with all the change orders already approved, the district still has about $700,000 in contingencies, and Neenan’s is around $650,000.
“We can definitely support this,” Rayl said.
Later in the meeting, the board voted 4-0 for the Commons’ A/C add-on. Board members Dan Ross, Thomas Holtorf and Lindsey Galles participated in the meeting in-person, and Kim Langley did so remotely. Duane Brown was absent.
Board members noted the Commons is used constantly throughout the school day, as well as the school year for all sorts of activities, so now was the time to get it done since it is in-line with the budget.
However, the A/C project will mean the Commons will not be available for use the first two to three weeks of the school year. The board was told school leaders have said YHS can work around it for that time when it comes to lunch, and the first few weeks of indoor sports will mean spectators will have to go outside to go between The Pit and Aux Pit.
Math on NJC campus
Yuma High School math classes will be held on the NJC Yuma campus across the street from YHS for the first semester next school year.
Except for art and band, the current classrooms wings will not be available for the first semester, meaning nearly all classes will be held in the new wing, which will be completed before the start of school on September 7.
Therefore, the Yuma-1 looked across the street for more space.
Chrisman told the board Monday night that the district is entering a lease to use three classrooms and two offices for the Math Department next semester. The lease is for $4,800.
It means math students will cross the new parking lot in front of the new wing, and across 10th Ave. to go to and from math class for the first semester of the 2021-22 school year.
