Notice: School Beat: Plunkett Raysich on Agenda at Building and Grounds Meeting on Feb 21st--4PM---District Office

Last night at the Evansville School Board meeting it was announced that Plunkett Raysich will be presenting the cost estimates of the various options listed in their study on Feb. 21, 2007 at the Committee meeting of the Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting in the District Office at 4PM.

This meeting will be a preview of the presentation at the March school board meeting. The Observer would welcome members of the original Buildings and Grounds committee dating back to 2001 as well as residents with construction knowledge to attend to review the Plunkett study and provide input.

As I left the board meeting last night I chatted with Joe Francis, the head of Buildings and Grounds and mentioned that specifically beginning on Page 4 of the Plunkett Raysich study, residents, former board members, as well as construction types were questioning the impression that the TRIS with respect to roofs was in disasterous shape---the percentages given would suggest that over half the roof needed repair or replacement NOW.

He explained that NO this was not correct. These figures from the report were based on "warranty" numbers ---for example even in the new high school, the warranty on the roof would expire after 7 years or so-----that did not directly translate to replacement. In fact, in the TRIS and all the buildings, there is a regular annual roof repair program, and usually one roof or a section of one is replaced each year. Further, when he came on board with the district in 2001 he also assessed the TRIS as being sound. The text of the Plunkett study seemed to suggest that there had been a lack of maintanance during the past 6 years. Joe said that this was not so.

I asked him whether there had been budgeted amounts for roof repair that had been transferred into the general fund and not been used as intended. He said that usually they simply find money in the operating budget to repair a section each year.

The school board had discussed in finance committee the possibility of a special account for roof repair, but The Observer is not sure where that proposal stands at present.

In summary, beginning in committee on Feb 21st and then at the regular March school board meeting,, the Plunkett Study will come to the front burner and feature the money price tags for the 9 possible solutions identified.

The Observer is still at the problem identification stage. I am hoping that the tool and engineering folks can help out on this matter. Without a proper identification of the problem.....it could be a very muddled month of discussion.

Stay tuned to The Evansville Observer.

We ask the questions.