CLEARFIELD – On Monday night, the Clearfield school board authorized its administration to seek a professional to handle the public auction of the former Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools and the Clearfield Area Middle School and their contents, as well as for any further property needing to be disposed of in accordance with Public School Code.
The district permanently closed the Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools and the middle school as part of its consolidation into two school buildings. Further, it consolidated all of its classrooms into the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School and the Clearfield Area Elementary School at the beginning of the 2014-15 academic year.
Board members Mary Anne Jackson, Larry Putt, Jennifer Wallace, Rodney Rishel, Gail Ralston, Dr. Michael Spencer and Susan Mikesell voted in favor of authorizing the administration to seek a professional auctioneer. Board member Phil Carr opposed the same; board member Tim Morgan was absent from the meeting.
Prior to the board’s vote, Carr expressed that he would prefer if the district had its former school buildings appraised to establish their value before engaging a professional auctioneer. Putt said he respected Carr’s opinion on the matter but believed the district didn’t need to spend money on both an appraisal and an auction.
Jackson added that the county has expended $5,000 on appraisals of larger buildings. “It is just money thrown away that you don’t get back,” she said. Superintendent Terry Struble said the district would look into the recent sale of two school buildings in the Philipsburg-Osceola School District.
Struble commented that there wasn’t a large market for used school buildings. Given the board’s interest, Jackson suggested they establish a committee to work alongside Struble and the administration throughout the auction process for these school buildings.
In other business, the board voted 6-2 to approve using HHSDR Architects/Engineers of Sharon to develop construction drawings and requirements for a maintenance facility through the bid process at a cost of $21,500. Also, engineering costs, not to exceed $6,000, may be additional depending on permit requirements.
Jackson, Putt, Rishel, Ralston and Spencer voted in favor. Both Carr and Mikesell opposed the same. Before the vote, Ralston asked why the district had chosen HHSDR over a local firm. Struble explained that HHSDR was the district’s architect of record and possessed a greater knowledge of school laws and code.
When she voted, Ralston said she would do so in favor due to Struble’s reasoning for the district using HHSDR. Prior to the vote, Carr said he would feel more comfortable with a local engineer developing the plans for the proposed maintenance facility, which, if approved for construction, would be a steel-framed building located at the CAJSHS campus.
In regards to maintenance personnel, the board voted 7-1 to collapse the full-time maintenance position formerly held by Dave Anderson. Board members Jackson, Putt, Wallace, Rishel, Ralston, Spencer and Mikesell voted in favor. Carr opposed the same.
Prior to the vote, Carr said ever since he’s been on the board, he’s been “slammed” with the fact that the district doesn’t keep its school buildings well-maintained over time. As a result, he said small projects have turned into much larger ones with a required bid process.
Carr feared if the board collapsed the position, staff wouldn’t be able to properly maintain the school buildings. Rick Bunning, director of buildings and grounds, explained he’s established a preventative maintenance program with the staff monitoring the conditions of the two schools’ roofs, sidewalks, parking lots, heating and cooling systems, etc. on intervals.
Carr asked if Bunning’s preventative maintenance program would be manageable with less help. Bunning said his staff should be able to handle implementing the program; if it cannot, he would notify Struble. Struble noted that once the district no longer has to maintain its former school buildings, it’ll free up Bunning and his staff to focus on implementing the preventative maintenance program.
Wallace asked if the district had any “specialized maintenance staff.” Bunning replied that he had “basic maintenance guys.” If the district’s maintenance staff is not able to troubleshoot a problem, Bunning said they call in someone with expertise in that particular area.