District 88 Board approves contracts with teachers

By MARTHA KRIENKE

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The District 88 Board of Education approved contracts Thursday with New Ulm Education Minnesota and District 88's food service and laundry employees for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years.

The NUEM contracts will cost the district an additional 4.81 percent the first year and 2.86 percent the second year.

The NUEM previously ratified the contract offer.

The food service and laundry employees' contract will cost the district an additional 4.84 percent the first year and 4.02 percent the second year. The contract was ratified last week.

School Board Member Susan Nierengarten said, "We have been keeping an eye on the other settlements that have been reached around the state, and we feel we're exactly at the right place on this."

Spanish teacher Greg Reynen requested the district's support by sponsoring a trip to Costa Rica but asked for no financial commitment from the district. Seventeen students and two adults are scheduled to travel June 17-30, 2004. The trip will be organized by Intercultural Student Experiences of Eagan, Minn.

All funds for the trip will be required to come through the district's accounting system due to state regulations. The district will also require each participant to sign a waiver of liability against the district that is beyond the district's insurance coverage. The cost of the trip is approximately $1,940 per person.

District 88 Business Manager Donna Luhring asked board approval to prepare specifications and to advertise for bids for a food service management company beginning with the 2004-05 school year. New bids must be advertised every five years.

In other action, the board discussed alternative options for heating and ventilating district buildings due to complaints in fall 2002 about mold, temperatures and high relative humidity.

Chandler Holland from the Institute for Environmental Assessment, a firm specializing in air quality issues, and District 88 Facilities Director Scott Hogen presented the current problems and possible solutions and costs.

Jefferson Elementary and Washington Elementary and the Senior High School are first on the list to receive alternative heating and ventilating options.

The three options presented included replacing or retrofitting unit vents with new unit vents, supplementing current ventilation components or installing a central HVAC system. Based on 1999-2000 dollars, the project could cost an estimated $5 million.

Holland said he hopes pre-design of a new system will begin next winter and will submit shop drawings in early 2006.

This schedule would bring a tentative 2009 completion of all three buildings. The board's Facility Committee will continue to research and discuss the possibilities in its future meetings.

"We're probably ahead of the game considering what's being done throughout the state. We're not the only school district that is facing some decisions about heating and ventilation systems. We have to make our decision thoughtfully and with as much good information that we possibly can," said Superintendent Harold Remme.

The next District 88 Board meeting will be held Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Annex Administration Building.