Work on Greenville High School gym begins
The Plumas Unified School District board met at a special meeting Aug. 22 to start work on restoring the Greenville High School gym, to decide on which portable buildings to retain and reroof, to elect an ad hoc committee to authorize last minute change orders to construction contracts and to review the new classroom furniture to be purchased by the district for PUSD schools
Greenville High School gym
The school board asked district staff to look into the cost of building a new steel-framed gym-civic center versus restoring the current gym at Greenville High School.
Patty McCutcheon, assistant to the school superintendent, said that staff reported to the board at its meeting Aug. 22 that a new steel-framed gym would cost $8 million to $11 million. The price would escalate if a civic center were to be incorporated into the design.
The school district estimated that the full cost of restoring the old gym would be around $2 million. This includes the costs for remediation and abatement of hazardous material, installing new drainage away from the building, replacing the flooring and repairing the gym’s roof.
It was recognized that costs of restoration could increase if additional problems are found as the walls, floors and the roof are dismantled for repairs.
The board had asked the staff to check whether building a new gym was an economic option in order to be confident that restoring the old gym was the right approach.
The current gym sits in a low area that has allowed moisture and mold to collect under the flooring. A new gym could be built on higher ground.
Following the news, the board decided to award a contract to McCuen Construction for $506,000 to remove and dispose of mold, lead and asbestos from the old gym. This is the first in a series of contracts needed to restore the gym.
McCutcheon reported that remediation and abatement of hazardous material would begin immediately. She said that restoration of the entire gym is on an accelerated timeline because the board would like to have the gym operational by spring.
Locker rooms and showers in the gym are currently available for students. Other gym functions have been moved outside or to an adjoining room in the main building that has been permanently converted into a weight room.
The volleyball team is presently practicing at Chester High School. Greenville High School has not yet decided where to hold tournament games.
Portable school buildings
The board does not want to spend money on reroofing portable buildings if the buildings aren’t needed or if those building might need further repairs down the road.
The board decided to reroof the six portable buildings at C. Roy Carmichael Elementary in Portola that are in good condition.
However, the board decided not to reroof portable buildings at Chester Elementary, Indian Valley Elementary and Quincy Elementary.
Many of the portable buildings not being reroofed will probably be removed.
Contract changes
The board also formed an ad hoc committee authorized to make last minute change orders to construction contracts.
Board members Dwight Pierson and Dave Keller were chosen for the committee. Pierson has an extensive background in school construction based on his experience as a principal and superintendent in Iowa.
Pierson and Keller will be able to sign off on change orders for amounts up to $50,000. Those decisions will be presented to the entire board at subsequent board meetings.
Change orders costing more that $50,000 will have to be signed off by the entire board before construction can proceed.
The board hopes that the ad hoc committee will speed up construction and reduce the number of special board meetings that need to be called.
Classroom furniture
A group of PUSD elementary and high school teachers, administrators and district staff traveled to Sacramento to visit a school furniture warehouse.
The group looked at furniture sets with matching student desks, teacher desks, computer desks and storage units.
The group displayed some of their choices to the board at the Aug. 22 meeting.
The board also undertook the last procedural details necessary to officially sell the Greenville Main Street school site to American Legion Post 568 and sell the Almanor High School site to the Almanor Recreation and Park District.
The process of turning the properties over has gone on for several years. Both properties were officially declared surplus property as the last stage in that process.
why are doing this? This is a failing school would it be cheaper to close the school?