Bond projects moving into second phase

Funded by a voter-approved $10.7 million bond, augmented by a $4 million state grant, the Sisters School District is moving into the second phase of an extensive set of projects to improve facilities at all three schools.

With a new track in place in time to enable the Outlaws to host home meets for the first time in a couple of years, projects now are moving into security and safety enhancements, mostly at Sisters Elementary School and Sisters High School. Project Manager Brett Hudson told The Nugget that remodeling for enhanced security at Sisters Middle School is extensive enough to be disruptive to staff, so it will be undertaken during Phase 3 in the summer of 2018, when the impact can be managed and minimized.

(The project list and a project "road map" are available at http://ssd6.org/bondoverview/.)

Hudson said that Sisters' harsh winter had little effect on projects.

"It hasn't hurt us too bad on scheduling," he said.

The weather did, however, point up some additional work that needs to be done - mostly sidewalk work and improving drainage around buildings, and installing downspouts where there was a large build-up of ice. Hudson says that that work can be funded through savings in other areas of the overall project.

The security changes at the schools involve some extensive entryway remodeling to create a single controlled access point into the schools, and visitor and late-entry check-in at the offices at all three schools. At Sisters High School, for example, there will be a new separate entrance for guests and post-admission-time entry.

The schools are also installing electronic key cards for anyone who accesses the schools. The district can then track who is entering the school buildings.

"It gives us a better understanding of who's coming and going from our buildings," said Superintendent Curt Scholl.

The security changes reflect changing times and a changed society - even in small-town Sisters.

"People are used to just opening the door and walking in and walking down the hall," said Hudson. "But we just can't have that anymore. It's part of the growth of our society, I think. And it's the expectation of the community to protect the kids and I think these are the right steps to take."

Hudson noted that some of the project installations - like security technology and new kitchen equipment - have been handled in-house, saving money on the project.

The district is also automating systems, including HVAC, lighting, generator back-up and monitoring of food-storage. Those improvements are expected to make the district's maintenance work more efficient and create operational savings.

Automation is expected to improve scheduling, minimize circumstances when the schools are heating or cooling empty buildings, and allow maintenance crews to identify equipment and system problems earlier.

Operations director Ryan Stock notes that the district is replacing exterior lighting with LED lighting. Right now, exterior lights require yearly inspection and changeouts.

"When they've changed over to LED, you might not go out there for 20 years," Stock said.

There will be some LED lighting installed on interiors as well, Stock said.

Hudson said that his guiding principles in managing the projects are creation of operational savings; improving building longevity; and enhancing student experience/outcomes.

The district is the beneficiary of a windfall from a $4 million state matching grant - one the school board had pretty much given up on during the bond campaign. The grant pool was based on need - which put Sisters at the bottom of the list based on demographics - and a lottery for those that did not qualify on a needs basis.

Fortunately for Sisters, several districts that were ahead of Sisters in the lottery did not pass their bonds and thus fell out of the running for matching funds. Sisters moved up the list - as did other schools that succeeded at the ballot box.

"All the schools that passed bonds got money," Scholl said.

The Sisters School Board recently approved tapping into the grant funds to fund construction of a new bus barn/shop near the high school. The new facility will serve a number of purposes - improving maintenance facilities for the district's buses and providing easy access and shop facilities for high school CTE (Career Technical Education) students to work and take classes in.

"We don't have anything like that, so it will be an addition to the offerings of Sisters High School," Hudson said.

The project offers some attractive efficiencies.

"It wasn't a project on our bond list," Hudson said. "The idea is not to build two shops."

In addition, the decommissioning of the current bus barn adjacent to Sisters Elementary School could potentially free up some space for staff parking, which would in turn help with a redesign and improvement of parking at Sisters Elementary School, which has long been crowded and a bit chaotic.

A bond oversight committee has been meeting regularly to keep track of projects and expenses. Hudson and Scholl said the district is working on generating a one-page budget-to-actual rundown of projects so far. That snapshot is expected to be available to the public within a month or so.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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