The Crookston Public Schools Long Range Planning Committee met on Friday with Superintendent Jeremy Olson telling them his early projections for the end of the fiscal year show a deficit. “I did tell the board we need to be prepared for a red budget,” said Olson. “Of course, we’re hoping to not be in that territory, but that is where it’s looking at this point. I just wanted to update the board to that status.”
The committee also directed Olson to begin forming a committee to consider a football field and track complex for the high school. School Board member Mike Theis said it would probably be ugly any time to look at the field, but the University of Minnesota Crookston cutting its football program forces the district’s hand. Board Chair Frank Fee agreed with Theis, saying if the district was going to continue to field football and track teams, they need a place to play.
School Board member Tim Dufault also said the district couldn’t put it off any longer, adding that the tax credits on farmland are growing. Dufault suggested a committee be formed. “It’s incumbent on us to start looking at where we’re going to go from here,” said Olson. “We’ve had some initial conversation about a football field and track, so I sought some direction from the school board, and they did direct me to start forming a committee for what that would look like. And see if there is any public interest in a field and track solely for Crookston Public Schools.”
Olson will work with the School Board to form the committee over the next month before any planning begins. “I’ll be starting to put together some names of people and seek some additional direction from the full school board,” said Olson. “We are looking at doing some public outreach where we’d ask people interested in this topic to submit their name as well. I’d say we’re looking to get this formulated in the next month.”
The committee also discussed Washington School. A few projects are coming up to be considered at the building, such as the parking lot, replacing exterior doors, and moisture causing the building’s wood floors to warp. As he’s said before, Olson said before undertaking expensive projects, the committee and school board would need to think about where it would see itself in 10 years.
Due to Washington’s age, Olson doesn’t believe the district will still be using the building in 10 years and suggested adding on to the newer Highland building for kindergarten and preschool. “At this point, Washington being our oldest building, is the one we’re looking at as far as the long-term feasibility there,” said Olson. “At this point, we have almost every classroom filled up with preschool and kindergarten in that facility. But we have to look towards the future and what that looks like.”
Building and Grounds Director Rick Niemala did present three projects to the committee. The committee asked for Niemala to collect figures on how much they could cost. All three projects center around the high school building. “We will look at resurfacing or seal coating or blacktop parking lots,” said Niemala. “Trying to keep those up even though it was only five years ago that we had those replaced. The second thing is the EIFS structures on the high school. They’re starting to show wear after the 20 some years the building has been here, and that needs to be taken care of before we start getting leaks in the building. Tennis Courts, we’re looking at resurfacing those. It’s been five years since we did that, so they’re starting to peel up again. Then, of course, we had a 70-mph wind that came through a year ago and bent over some of our fences. So, we need to look at some fencing since we’re doing the resurfacing and hopefully do that all as one project.”
Niemala further explained what the EIFS was. “EIFS is the upper structure of the building that looks like a stucco product,” said Niemala. “It’s a lightweight product for insulation and ceiling designed to keep the weather out. But it does weather as time goes on, so it’s starting to open up from the wind, rain, and cold since it’s been there.”
Niemala also said the new date for the bus garage completion is January 31 due to quarantine guidelines impacting the contractors. Further discussion on the bus garage is on the agenda for the School Board meeting Monday evening.
