By David Peck
A final date hasn’t been set, but the School District No. 1 Board of Trustees is honing in on a date for the long-awaited groundbreaking for the new Rocky Mountain 6-12 facility in Cowley.
District Facilities Director Michael Simmons told the board that he is working to set a date for mid-November, Supt. of Schools Shon Hocker said in an interview Monday, possibly the time frame of Nov. 17-18.
The Wyoming School Facilities Commission has a board meeting that week, Hocker said, and Simmons is trying to convince the commission to meet in the area so members can then attend the groundbreaking.
Construction could start soon after the ceremony, Hocker said, with bids scheduled to be opened on Thursday, Nov. 13, from 3-5 p.m. prior to the regular board meeting.
“Once the bids are open, construction can start pretty quick,” Hocker said. “It depends on how soon the winner can start.”
Once opened and approved by the board, the winning bidder would need to be reviewed by the district’s construction manager, Groathouse Construction, Hocker said, but he added, “By Thanksgiving we should be digging a hole.”
Since the SFC approved the project in August, the district has been printing and distributing project drawings and waiting on a decision on the heating system by the SFC, which was deciding between a conventional system and a geothermal system.
“The SFC value engineering team made a decision to go with a vertical geothermal heating system,” Hocker said. “It’s very energy efficient. We were waiting on that decision and for final drawings to be printed.”
Advertising for bids began on Oct. 6, he said.
Next Monday and Tuesday, the SFC will take formal action on some supporting documents they requested, Hocker said, including a document confirming that the auxiliary gym the district will build as part of the new facility will not impede construction and a letter stating that the project will meet the district’s educational needs.
The auxiliary gym will be built at the same time as the rest of the facility using district funds, and the same contractor will be used, Hocker said, to save money.
Education summary
In other action Thursday, Hocker reported on the recent Education Summary printed by the Wyoming Dept. of Education. The report ranked Wyoming districts in various areas: fifth-grade reading, eighth-grade math and 11th grade writing based on the statewide PAWS test, as well as the high school graduation rate and the percentage of students taking advantage of the Hathaway Scholarship.
“Big Horn One did very well,” Hocker said, noting that the district ranked fifth in the state in fifth-grade reading proficiency with 80.9 percent of students proficient and advanced, eighth in eighth-grade math with 77.8 percent proficient and advanced and 31st in 11th-grade writing with 70.9 percent proficient or advanced out of 48 districts.
Although the writing percentage was relatively low, the report showed a 20 percent gain from a year ago, Hocker said, adding, “We’re very happy with our progress.” He said the test formerly was hand-written, mailed in and graded. It is now conducted electronically. He noted that the district is right at the state average (73 percent).
District One was in the upper half of the state for graduation rate at 17th with a rate of 87.7 percent, well above the state average of 79.5 percent. The district was in the lower half for students using the Hathaway Scholarship, 33rd with a percentage of 32. But Hocker said geography and demographics play a major role in that average, noting that many students go to school at a college like BYU-Idaho or any number of Montana schools.
The district has a strong percentage of graduates moving on to college, Hocker said.
In other agenda items Thursday:
The board voted to hire Mistie Lee as a part-time food service worker in Burlington and elevated part-time special education aide Erika Clark to full time in Burlington.
District Business Manager Richard Parker explained that the district funds deposited in local banks are secure because the banks “pledge” securities to match the district’s assets.
The board passed on first reading a proposal to increase substitute teacher rates from $85 per day to $96 per day and to increase most hourly support staff substitutes to step one of the support staff salary schedule.
The board passed on second and final reading a policy to increase the reimbursement for bus driver annual physicals from $25 to $75 to better reflect current costs.
Trustees also passed on second and final reading a pair of policies to move the open enrollment period for fringe benefits for professional and support staff from April to December.
The board voted to accept a donation of $155 and two backpacks full of school supplies from a recent drive by local real estate agents.