Members of the Wilton school board were notified that bids for the upcoming high school gym commons addition came in over budget. Tim Anderson of Point Builders, the company chosen to serve as general contractor for the project, was on hand and said there were four bidders for the upcoming project and all came in with bids over budget.
As previously reported, original cost estimate for the project was $2.654 million, with funding coming from the Townsend Foundation and interest payments on revenue bonds to come from the school district. When asked how far over budget the bids submitted at the end of February were, Anderson said “give or take” around 15 percent.
Anderson said meetings have been held with the district facilities team and the four bidders were asked to update bids in order to meet original budget parameters. The target is to have new updated bids to present at the April 8 board meeting.
“We’re still on track to start this project in the summer,” added Superintendent Joe Burnett.
Negotiations ongoing
Joe Hewitt and Tammy Place were present for a special meeting with the school district on behalf of the Wilton Education Association. Representing the teacher’s union. Hewitt and Place presented the board with its opening proposal and interests, which focused on insurance, leave, wages and salaries, days of service and holidays, etc.
The district also provided a handout with its interests. Hewitt noted that several of the interests mirrored each other. Both entities will meet again soon to further negotiations. Burnett also noted that the Iowa Legislature recently set allowable growth at 2.3 percent, which will help when it came to talking numbers.
Administrative reports
During the regular portion of the meeting, elementary school Principal Denise Austin said that new kindergarten day will be March 20 and that there were 67 students currently signed up for kindergarten next year. “That number should go up on new kindergarten day,” Austin said.
She said the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) was working with the Iowa Bike Coalition to sponsor a Bike Rodeo for 4-6 grade students April 14 in the south part of the high school parking lot from 3:30-6:30 p.m. UnityPoint will help provide helmets and the Wilton Police Department will also be involved in the event.
Leader in Me leadership day will be held April 1 at Wilton elementary. The event is totally student led and will feature an assembly, classroom tours, Q&A with the student leadership panel and a reception.
Junior-Senior High Principal Marc Snavely said the district has been active with hiring staff for next school year. Several positions have been offered and accepted. All that’s left is finding a high school math teacher. He said he’d be making calls to set up interviews after the meeting. “Hopefully we’ll go into spring break with all positions hired,” he said.
A group of Wilton staff members were going to attend a conference in Los Angeles but it has been canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. A vocal music trip to Florida and an eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. are also planned in March and April, yet Burnett noted that each are being evaluated due to COVID-19.
The Wilton athletics report noted that the indoor multipurpose facility is complete and an open house was held Feb. 23. High school baseball, softball and golf teams have been using the building on a regular basis and multiple area youth teams have been using it as well.
Editor's note: The meeting occurred March 11. Area schools are now shut down for four weeks and several of the trips and events mentioned above have been canceled or postponed.
Later in the meeting, the board approved the following hirings:
* Julie Diemer, high school language arts.
* Corrie Johnson, Jr./Sr. high special education.
* Jackson Cole, Jr./Sr. high band.
Salaries on positions above to be determined after negotiations.
* Kate Weekly, 7-12 model teacher, $2,000.
* Nicole Miller, 7-12 model teacher, $2,000.
* Angela Dann, assistant girls’ track coach, $2,591.
* Ryan Hetzler, junior high boys’ track coach, $2,389.
* Kevin Brisker, junior high football coach, salary to be determined.
Miscellany
In other action, the board:
* Approved the transfer of Jr./Sr. high math teacher Tim Bean to TAG/home school liaison. He will remain on the same salary schedule.
* Approved the Title One Reading teacher job description.
* Reviewed policies 710.1; 710.2; 710.3; 710.4; 711.1; 711.2; 711.2R1; 711.2R2; 711.3; 711.4; 711.5; 711.6; 711.7; 711.8; 711.9 with some slight modifications.
* Approved 28E sharing agreements with Durant for bowling, and Muscatine for swimming, tennis and soccer.
* Approved the FY19 audit report.
* Approved the estimated budget for the FY21 juvenile court liaison position, currently held by Pete Duytschaever, which includes the district being responsible for half of the $61,520 salary ($30,761).
* Approved a 2020-2021 student teaching agreement with the University of Northern Iowa.
* Received a budget presentation from school business official Staci Owens-Kirkman and set the FY21 budget hearing for April 8 at 5:15 p.m. prior to the next regular meeting.
* Approved the purchase of a new livestock trailer for the Wilton ag and FFA program. The lowest of five bids was approved, courtesy of N & N in Monticello at a price of $23,145. The Townsend Foundation donated $20,000 toward the new trailer and Burnett noted that the program sold it’s old trailer for $8,700, leaving it with money left over.
* Heard a presentation from technology staff members Justin Marston and Beau Huber with regard to purchasing upgrade equipment for the district network switch infrastructure. A bid of $73,569.80 was approved and the district will only have to pay $29,463.92 of it with the remaining balance being paid by E-Rate funds.
All action taken was unanimous. Board members Tara Oien, Rob Metzger, Tim Barrett and Jeremy Lies were present. Linda Duncan was absent, therefore Oien ran the meeting. A budget hearing will be held at 5:15 p.m. April 8 prior to the next regular meeting, which will start at 5:30 that same date.