School is out for the summer in Crookston, but that doesn’t mean the schools are locked up tight and sitting dormant, waiting for students to return. No, the schools are getting read with the help of Crookston Public Schools Grounds, Building, and Transportation Director Rick Niemela and his crew. KROX stopped in to visit Niemela and find out what is being done this summer to get ready for the students’ return for the 2025-26 school year. “With the budget situation that we are in, we are just cleaning up our buildings and doing the maintenance that needs to be done on them,” says Niemela. “Basic cleaning: floors, gym floors, getting our heating systems and fire alarm systems inspected, which we do on an annual basis.”
Budget constraints are known throughout the state, and Niemela says there is not a lot they can do beyond the basics at this time. “Everything seems to be just the normal repairs,” says Niemela. “Some doors, some windows, and basic inspections.” It is not just the buildings themselves that need maintenance this summer. “In the grounds world, we are going to do some tree trimming, we always maintain our playgrounds, dress up our wood chips, and check over all of the nuts and bolts on them and make sure everything is tight and that there is nothing there that can hurt anyone.”
There is only one bus route running this summer, so Niemela says the buses are getting some attention while they await their passengers in the fall. “In the transportation world, of course, we are repairing buses and cleaning buses,” says Niemela. “We only have one bus route for the summer for a mental health program, but that’s the only thing we have this summer, so it’s a really easy summer for that.” Niemela says that there is some seeding to do and wood chips to add to the new playground at Highland Elementary School, as seeding at the start of the school year would have been difficult with the foot traffic once school started.
While the kids are busy with their summer activities, vacations, and programs, rest assured: There is a crew getting things ready for their return in the fall, providing clean and safe buses, buildings, and outdoor playspaces.
