The West Liberty Community School District Board of Education approved a change order for the elementary school construction project at its meeting Monday, June 20, before construction has actually started.
School district superintendent Shaun Kruger said there were three trees along the west side of the project on North Miller Street needing to be removed after speaking with the architect/designer and construction company because a driveway and parking area would be located there and if need be, footage could be added.
“These weren’t identified early on as needing to go?” Board of education member Jeff Laughlin asked.
Right, Kruger said.
“They’re big trees and they’re expensive to remove,” board of education vice-president Edward Moreno said.
Kruger nodded at what Moreno said.
Moreno asked for a motion to approve the change order. He was acting as interim president because board of education president Jake Burroughs was attending the meeting remotely.
Laughlin made the motion. Burroughs seconded the motion.
The motion was approved unanimously bringing to the cost of the project fro $6,698,000 to $6,701,352.59.
The board also heard a 2021-22 year in review report from West Liberty Middle School principal Vicki Vernon.
Vernon spoke about welcoming fifth grade students to the middle school last fall, having the yearbook and student council return, student test scores and the Talented and Gifted TAG student program, which she is one of the coordinators.
Moreno asked Vernon if she had looked at the demographics in the community and how the TAG ratio doesn’t match. Vernon said they had looked at it and thought testing may have to be changed to address that issue.
Vernon also said students who don’t qualify for TAG program may still identify with a high aptitude in a specific area, which the district identifies and assists students. Vernon provided some examples like some of the students in the middle school traveling to the high school for band because they test out of middle school band. Vernon also mentioned that is the same case for reading, math and English classes.
The board of education also approved the resignation of assistant varsity football coach Gus Garcia and the hiring of Dillon Christensen as the High School Girls Wrestling Coach.
The next regular school board meeting will be held July 18, at 6 p.m. in the district’s administration office boardroom and will include reviewing and setting legislative priorities on the agenda.