District One hires architect for new school
The board of Yuma Elementary School District One voted Monday evening to start work on the first elementary school to be built in Yuma in several years.
The governing board voted 5-0 to ink a contract with Thompson Design Architects, a local firm that has done work for Yuma Union High School District, and voted to utilize the construction manager at risk (CMAR) delivery method for the building of Dorothy Hall Elementary School.
“CMAR is an alternative delivery method of procurement under ARS 41-25.78,” said District One CFO Denis Ponder, and can only be used under certain factors.
“Basically, it allows us more capability,” said Superintendent Jamie Sheldahl. CMAR entails a commitment by the construction manager to get the project done within a guaranteed maximum price, which is based on the construction documents and specifications at the time of the GMP plus any reasonably inferred items or tasks.
Thompson Design Architects owner Chris Thompson, who was in the audience, said that his team would start on drawings Tuesday morning.
The board also approved Stern Co. Engineering, Dahl Robbins group, Core Engineering, and Nicklaus Engineering for work on other projects the district will be pursuing.
The construction projects are part of a second phase of a $37 million bond voters approved in 2014. The first phase of the bond projects focused on safety and security upgrades across the district, technology upgrades, facilities remediation across the district, as well as some new construction, according to minutes from the Oct. 10 board meeting. The board authorized the sale of school improvement bonds at that October meeting.
The district is paying for the school itself, instead of applying for funds from the Arizona School Facilities Board.
Technology Director Dean Farar gave an update on a nationwide computer hardware snag that is affecting the district. The district is in the process of updating all its computers and other technology processing equipment to avoid the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. Yuma District One heads a technology consortium that includes YUHSD, Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University-Yuma.
Transportation Director Ron Schepers updated the board on the aging of the consortium’s school bus fleet. The average age of a bus in the fleet is 10.33 years, Schepers reported. Five of the buses are at least 20, or more, years old.
The goal for YESD1 is to replace buses between 17 to 20 years of age. The district is in the process of delivery of two new special education buses, and four “used” buses should be delivered by the summer, Schepers said. The four used buses are coming from a district in Northern Arizona and are from the 2011 school year.
Board member Barbara Foote asked how much a new bus costs, to which Schepers noted that the price runs anywhere from $110,000 to $170,000.
Jake Ashley presented on the Right At School before and after-school program.
The reason the district is seeking new before and after care solutions is due to President Donald Trump wanting to cut the 21st Century program from the education budget. 21st Century, which operates at no cost to schools, has already ended at several campuses and no grants are being renewed, Sheldahl said.
Ashley fielded several questions from the board, including what their curriculum was like, how they vet their workers, what the cost to parents would be, and if materials are offered in Spanish.
The board OK’d several changes in principals and assistant principals for the next school year. Kevin Gettings was approved to be the new principal at Castle Dome Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year. The assistant principal will be Nicole Wilhelmy. At Gila Vista Junior High, Frank Nunez will be the new assistant; and Ashley Fox was welcomed back to the district to take the assistant principal’s position at Fourth Avenue Junior High. Fox was most recently the principal of AmeriSchools South, a charter school in Yuma.
Students from Mary A. Otondo’s drama club presented a rousing rendition of “The Circle of Life,” from Disney’s “The Lion King” as part of the school showcase. Students arrived in character with hand-made costumes, singing a capella, as their soundtrack got stuck.
Donations to the district for the month totaled $15,786.68.