The Jefferson Village School Board approved upgrading the materials for a fence around the new school building at their Aug. 1 meeting.
Construction of the school is on schedule and within the approved budget, officials said at the meeting, but a fence planned for the grounds posed a potential safety hazard.
The material purchased for the approximately 160-foot cedar fence was “really rough sawn lumber,” said JVS Principal Peter Gallace. The fence will be close to the playground, and for safety reasons the board approved purchasing smoother cedar lumber for the fence.
The upgraded materials will cost an additional $5830, which will be taken from the expected 2011 school fund balance forward. The school district expects to recoup at least $1000 from the resale of the material already purchased, said School Board Chairman Bob Westrich.
Westrich also said that the board recently approved the construction of a two-bay garage on the school grounds. The garage will be used to store landscaping and other equipment.
Originally, the district planned to use one of the portable units from the old JVS building for equipment storage. However, the architects and engineers hired for the construction recommended against this proposal, Westrich said.
The state has reportedly approved spending up to $30,000 for the garage. The money will come from the school construction contingency fund set aside for the JVS project, if there are funds available in that account, Westrich said. As of a recent update, there was more than $200,000 available in that account, officials said.
The architects who designed the new school are working on a design for the garage – at no cost to the town or district – they say should cost less than $30,000 to build. The project will be put out to bid soon, Westrich said.
If the cost of the garage exceeds $30,000, the extra expense will need to come from the school budget approved earlier this year, Westrich said.
