LEWISTOWN - After mulling three options to redesign a slope in front of the new Indian Valley High School, the Mifflin County School District Board of Directors on Thursday decided to table those options in favor of the design already in the original construction plans.
The slope, located in front of the school that leads down to where a track will eventually be constructed, became a point of discussion last month when the board began thinking about future plans for the site, mainly a set of bleachers to be considered. In order to do that and to give the area a more attractive look, three options were being considered at an additional cost to the $64.6 million construction project.
Option 1, priced at $597,528.75 included adding a series of poured concrete retaining walls and an additional set of stairs leading to the track. It also would have placed an additional sidewalk along the main drive in front of the school. A portion of the reinforced soil slope would be stabilized with geoweb and stone infill, and additional shrub planting would occur at the base of the retaining wall.
Option 2, at a cost of $269,804.89, would add a segmental retaining wall paralleling the main entrance drive, mowable slopes at the base and top of the wall, and geoweb and stone infill in lieu of juniper planting.
Option 3, to cost $181,222.44, would put the geoweb and stone infill west of the concrete stairs in lieu of the upland seed mix currently in the contract, and east of the stairs in lieu of the juniper planting bed currently in the contract.
Calling the additional costs too much to handle, the board opted to have the architectural firm, Hayes-Large, look into other plantings in lieu of the retaining wall and geoweb and stone infill additions.
In other business Thursday, the board approved a request from the custodial-maintenance department to advertise for requests for proposals for a countywide building feasibility study.
Originally, the board had planned on using Hayes-Large Architects to conduct the study because it has done similar work for the district in the past. However, at a committee-of-the-whole meeting held Feb. 18, several board members said they would like to put the process out for RFPs to see what kind of pricing is available on a wider basis.
Once a firm is hired, the feasibility study will consist of a document depicting buildings, options and costs in sufficient detail that justifies and supports a need that could potentially lead to a reimbursable project in the future.
One of the areas the board wants to have examined is the extra capacity that will become available once the students at the current Indian Valley Middle School move into the current Indian Valley High School.
During the board's January business meeting, Hayes-Large officials told the board that should the district pursue a reimbursable construction project in the future, a feasibility study is required by the state. The last feasibility study done for the district was in 2006.
In other action Thursday, the board:
Deleted Jeffrey Curry from the custodian-maintenance substitute list.
Approved the hiring of Carla Hughes as a part-time cafeteria worker effective, Feb. 19.
Approved adding Tracy Bastress and Kelly Hostetler to the cafeteria substitute list.
Approved the resignation of Helen Lodanosky, English teacher at Lewistown High School, effective the end of the current school year due to retirement.
Approved the following be added to the district's substitute teacher list: Evan Corbin, Melissa Brown, Monica Cox, Andrew Green, Jamie Karbowiak and Christine Manbeck.
Approved tenure for Douglas Parson and Leah Noerr.
Approved the retirement of Margaret Burke, administrative secretary at Highland Park Elementary School, effective April 30.
Approved the deletion of Pamela Hoy from the paraprofessional substitute list.
Accepted the resignation of Ashley Suydam as junior high field hockey coach at Indian Valley High School.
Approved the hiring of Courtney Bell as junior high field hockey coach at Indian Valley High School.
Approved Anita Valerio as a volunteer softball coach at Indian Valley High School, Gregory Loht as a volunteer track coach at Indian Valley High School and Rachel Zook as a volunteer softball coach at Lewistown High School.
Approved Ronald Burk as a classroom volunteer at East Derry Elementary School for the remainder of the current school year.
Approved Raymond Clinger as a volunteer baseball coach at Lewistown High School.
