Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
On January 11, at a regular school board meeting, the New Rockford-Sheyenne Board of Education made the decision to hire Interstate Engineering to provide assistance in the second gym project. The engineering firm has been utilized before not only by the school but by city and county entities as well.
Over a period of 45 days, the firm will provide the school technical assistance in identifying and selecting an architectural firm to render drawings for the proposed second gym. The assistance is estimated to cost $3,000.
This step comes after nine months of organizational planning and preliminary fundraising. To date, $364,867.53 has been raised and/or pledged to the project. This includes $50,000 the NR-S board committed to early in 2020.
The majority of the board agreed with the motion to hire Interstate Engineering. Board member Patti Larson gave the lone dissenting vote. Larson serves on the school’s building committee and has been involved with the conversation from the start.
While Larson agrees that architectural rendering needs to be completed, she expressed concern that there had not been enough community involvement to date. “I’ve been hearing quite a bit from people and taking phone calls,” Larson says. “People aren’t really sure what’s going on with the project.”
Other board members expressed a bit of confusion, reasoning that if people aren’t really sure what’s going on, then why is there so much excitement and enthusiasm?
The idea of the second gym was born out of a discussion among Rocket fans, and slowly gained momentum. Earlier this year, the board held a special meeting to hear a presentation by Reed Weisenburger regarding potential plans for constructing and financing a new gymnasium. At that time, Weisenburger presented the gym in the context of athletic needs citing that “6 a.m. and 7 a.m. practices in January is an issue.” It was a point upon which many parents could agree with, especially considering the increasing popularity of archery.
At that point, a vision was hatched for a 90-by-70 foot building on school property near the current gym.
One thing that all board members agreed upon then, and continue to agree about now, is that public taxpayer dollars would not be a source of funding. Instead, the group asked for board approval to initiate fundraising efforts in an attempt to collect private donations. The board approved the formation of a committee to begin fundraising in order to hire an architect to secure a workable location and accurate cost-estimate. The initial fundraising goal at that time was $500,000.
Once Interstate Engineering helps NR-S secure a more solid vision will begin to take shape.
Larson also took a moment to express concern about the long-term maintenance of the gym. “We’re making a really big decision that we will have to deal with for the next 40-50 years. It’s a decision that is for more than just a few,” she said.
Board member Mike Jacobson highlighted the importance of taking this next step, stating that the architectural work will bring clarity to the project and improve the board’s ability to make decisions regarding construction. A definitive
drawing will also provide the public with more details about the project’s scope and the estimated cost of the structure.
Superintendent Jill Louters added to the discussion about public involvement by saying, “It is important that we answer questions and address concerns. We do have tremendous support, you can see that from local businesses and alumni. It is really important that we take this next step to define a clear scope of the public.”
Donations have been steadily coming in. Stay tuned to the Transcript for some big announcements about recent pledges and donations. Smaller donations have also found their way into the fund. Louters reported the delight she experienced when she opened an envelope containing a $10 check that was written by the grandmother of alumni.
Other highlights of the January 11 meeting include the following:
• Principal Natalie Becker shared that of the 28 students who started the school year via distance learning, 15 have returned for the second semester.
• Summer school planning will soon begin.
• Louters is continuing the search for candidates for the open math instructor and counselor positions. She is searching nationwide for teaching candidates, and applications are coming in.
• Technology coordinator Amy Cudworth reported to the board on recent technology purchases, as well as her role in working with seniors who are planning for college.
