Changes coming to South Putnam High School

South Putnam High School is about to see some big changes.

At a total cost of roughly $161,180.56, the South Putnam School Board approved three projects and tabled one during its regular meeting on Tuesday.

The first was a continuation of the 1:1 take-home device roll-out begun in the high school last August. Less than a year later, the board approved a $106,180.56 ($26,545.14 per year for four years) lease with First National Bank for the purchase of 275 Lenovo chromebooks (along with cases and licenses) for the middle school.

Roll-out dates and details have not yet been finalized.

The second approved project was for the aquaculture facility. The board approved spending no more than $30,000 from the rainy day fund on improvements that would include updated equipment, a micro-green room and a food safety classroom.

Total cost for all improvements was at $57,100, but Falling Waters Farm, represented by Eric Curran (a South Putnam graduate), has agreed to donate $27,750 of the project, bringing the school’s total cost to $29,350.

The school may still need donations of a refrigerator, dishwasher and other items to complete the project.

Lastly, the board approved building a press box/concession stand for baseball and softball fields as well as the track at no more than $50,000, with $25,000 of the cost already donated by Jack and Shirley Dalton.

The project is expected to be complete by the start of next school year, and the fields are to be named after the Daltons.

The board also heard updates on a project from high school Principal Mike Schimpf and Tona Gardner, director of curriculum and instruction, that has been in the works since March.

The plan is to move the existing library to a large computer lab across the hall, and then use the space to build a computer science classroom and additional conference room. The plans also include adding a second set of security doors at the office entrance.

Gardner and Principal Schimpf estimated the whole project at no more than $75,000, with roughly $30,000 for library furniture, $22,000 for carpet and $20,000 to build the new classroom and conference room.

Although favorable to the idea, the board tabled consideration until further details could be given at a special meeting set to take place in the next two weeks.

In other developments:

-- Claims: The board approved claims at a total of $439,765.51, a decrease of $66,388.41 from last month and of $279,370.55 from the year’s average.

-- Elementary handbook: The board approved the 2017-18 elementary handbook. Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt said the only changes were dates and that parents could not take pictures while having lunch with their students.

-- Last student day: The board approved the revised 2016-17 school calendar, which places the last student day on May 24 and last teacher day on May 25.

-- Personnel: The board approved the following personnel report:

-- Resignation: Traci Boyce (middle/high school guidance secretary)

-- Hire: Sherry Hanley (middle/high school part-time food service), Kyler Boyce and Nancy Knapp (summer bus workers)

-- Transfers: Amanda Dorsett (middle/high school office receptionist to guidance secretary) and Lindsay Teipen (middle/high school instructional assistant to office receptionist)

-- Students of the Month: The April Students of the Month were Damien Wiegand (fifth grade, Central), Noah Couch (fourth grade, Fillmore), Jackson Hayman (sixth grade) and Aidan LeBlanc (sophomore).

-- Student transfer dates: The board approved the 2017-18 student transfer dates at Aug. 4-Sept. 15 for the first semester and Jan. 1-Feb. 1 for the second semester.

The next South Putnam School Board regular meeting will be Monday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in the Central Elementary music room.