Facility Concerns #4

            As a continuation from last week, spaces will continue to trend as the focus.  Our Trades & Industry building is probably the most dire in all the district.  We currently have 62 seats accounted for in our “shop” classes that include engines, metals, woods, and introductory work.  These career classes are driven on two fronts.  The first is the Nebraska Department of Education is developing plans and encouraging schools to offer these classes, as they are typically the first cut when finances become a concern.  Secondly, in our community and county, the careers associated with these classes are needed to serve our patrons and businesses.  This building is currently on Main Street just south of the Tekamah Police office.

            The kindergarten cottage is not a suitable, long-term educational space.  Currently, one section of our kindergarten students utilizes this space for their daily activities.  However, this also requires them to be housed outside the main building (safety concern) and move between buildings as many as four times each day, regardless of weather.  The distance is not much, but there are too many concerns to justify it as a suitable space.

            An adequate commons area, for students to gather, is a need for elementary and high school.  In the high school, our students currently congregate in the hallways near the lockers during the morning and lunch times.  This becomes a supervision problem with limited eyes on multiple hallways and floors.  Additionally, the hallways are not wide enough to support that number of students if teachers are moving through the halls, especially with supplies in tow.  In the elementary, on inclement weather days, the students need to be in the building.  However, supervision is again a concern when they are in multiple hallways and classrooms prior to the day beginning.  Many of these needs and concerns are intertwined and could be solved simultaneously.  For example, there are food services inadequacies that could be solved by also utilizing the space as a commons area.

            There are multiple points of concerns with our roofing systems.  They have been on a better schedule in the past five years for replacement and attention has been given to them, but in some cases, there continues to be leaking concerns.  Some may have to be completely torn off and replaced, though we cannot be certain until we have a plan for addressing these needs.  By roofing, this also includes any facia, drainage, and all other facets that involve sealing the elevated surface of the school building.   

            Some needs are being addressed by the Board in structures they feel will remain, regardless of future decisions.  The gymnasium will be addressed this summer with a reconditioned floor, new bleachers for safety, and potentially new lights being installed.  While further down on the list, other activity needs are also part of consideration by the Board of Education.  Please reach out to them or to me with any questions or concerns you may have.  I hope these articles are helpful in outlining current needs for our students to have an adequate educational environment.