South Putnam continues work on improvements

The South Putnam School Board met for its monthly meeting on Monday evening, during which it once again discussed improvements to the high school gym walls.

Previously, the board had decided to go with Glenroy Construction for the first phase of the project, which includes installing steel support beams along with painting of the gym and steel.

The first phase of the project should begin within two to three weeks. The work itself will also take around three weeks.

Architect Tom Neff came before the school board in hopes of receiving the OK to go ahead and bid out the second phase of the project, which includes the repairing of the bricks in the high school gym and pool.

"Moisture's built up over the years and has had no way to get out," Neff said. "We're going to cover it up, not seal it up."

The exterior brick, after years of moisture, has had many of its faces popping off. In order to fix this issue, there will be a covering over the brick to keep it in place, which will be attached to concrete block.

"We don't want to count on just the brick. We'll make sure that the system is supported by the block wall and not just the brick, which could crumble," Neff previously explained. "It's not going to get wet anymore and the vents will let it breathe."

Over the brick covering will be gypsum boards, which will be fastened through the brick into the block. There will also be a harder substance, which will go over the gypsum board, that will require no painting or maintenance.

"It's a lot more repairable than the brick," Neff noted. "We have no fear of it being torn off. You're extending the life of that gym dramatically."

The board was also expected to bid out work at Central Elementary School for additional bathrooms and possibly extra classrooms. However, the board decided to focus on the many problems at the high school and middle school first, which now include changing exterior lights to energy-efficient fixtures.

Board member Nancy Wells did state that the board would look into improving Central Elementary next year.

"We've been made aware of several things at the high school that need to be addressed," Wells said. "We need some brightness. We need a better quality light."

It was also decided by the board that, at this time, it would like to fix the south walls of the high school, which are having the same problem with the bricks.

Neff agreed to come back to the April meeting with a new cost estimate for the additional brickwork as well as the exterior light fixtures.

Along with a project report, the board heard from Annabeth Smith of food services. Smith gave a brief update on how things have been going this school year with not only the new guidelines, but also the increase of students since the Reelsville closing.

"It's been a challenge," Smith said. "We are, however, having really good participation."

Smith said that in the recent months the Department of Agriculture has issued strict guidelines as to what students are allowed to have in their lunches each day. However, they have now eased up a bit after realizing many students choose not to eat such options.

"When we went to the fat-free chocolate milk, students wouldn't drink it," Smith said. "We now give them a little more choice. I think that makes a big difference. They are allowing us to have a little more meat and a little more vegetables."

The cafeteria has seen an increase in breakfast serving 100-120 students a day at the high school, 120-130 a day at Central Elementary and 40-50 a day at Fillmore.

Also, the cafeteria serves 350-375 students a day at the high school, 275-300 students at Central Elementary and 90-100 at Fillmore for lunch daily.

"We've done very well since the closing of Reelsville," Smith said. "Our workers have been doing a great job."

Although there has been a larger variety since the regulations have loosened a bit, there are no fried foods served an any of the schools as all the fryers are now gone and everything is baked.

"School lunches don't look like what they eat at home. Unfortunately, they don't, and students have a tendency to eat a lot of high-fat foods, starchy foods and sugary type foods," Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt said

"They come to school and we give them a different type of meal than what they're used to having a home, and you know what happens. The Department of Agriculture came out with some pretty stringent requirements. Just recently they've relaxed some, but it's not by any means back to the old way we used to do it."

The board also approved the following personnel issues: the resignation of seventh- and eighth-grade cheer coach Martha Miller, the adoption leave of Tammy York through the end of the school year, the retirement of Fillmore Elementary teacher Narda Cotton after the school year and the hiring of Cindy Poindexter as high school custodian.

South Putnam Community Schools will be on spring break starting this Friday.