Cafeteria project detailed at special public meeting

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NEW SCHOOL COMMONS AREA – The light yellow area indicates the proposed new Cafeteria/Commons area of the New Richland school building. The building’s main entrance, to be converted to secure double entry, is at lower left. The Upper Commons is in place of the current cafeteria, and the Lower Commons (area 17) is in place of the current south portion of the Media Center. The new Lower Commons will retain two skylights inherited from the Media Center. At lower right is the diagonally-placed main door to the smaller Media Center. At top is the facing wall of the new kitchen area, indicating large service openings with drop-down firewall dividers. (Drawing detail courtesy of SGN Wendel, recolored by Star Eagle)


By REED WALER

Staff Writer

A special public meeting to display and answer questions on the proposed kitchen-commons-entryway remodeling of the New Richland school building was held last Tuesday at 7 p.m. immediately following the district’s annual Truth in Taxation hearing at 6:30.

Present were representatives of ICS Consulting and SGN Wendel Architects, to present the drawings and explain financing. 

Visitors were first given a quick history of the project.

“It’s been in our minds for quite some time that the kitchen facility was aging quite rapidly,” said Supt. Kevin Wellen. “The kitchen and its equipment are over 50 years old, and the cafeteria is the same.”

History

“We involved some companies,” explained board chair Rick Schultz, “and we prioritized some other areas that could be improved.”

SGN Wendel was selected as low bidder to do the initial design work on the project, for approval at the December 17 meeting.

The district has been considering a number of building and facilities improvements, including the completion of the roofing project, and the construction of a new gymnasium and/or auditorium.

Another improvement under consideration was a secure main entry.

First it was realized that the outdated kitchen would have to be expanded into the current cafeteria area. But the cafeteria itself is small and outdated, so that area would have to be expanded in turn, out into the Media Center and the entryway/office area. 

Combining the two projects seemed not only economical, but inevitable.

The south area of the Media Center is available to be repurposed, since New Richland no longer has an elementary school.

Features

The new kitchen will be opened up in front with three large openings to facilitate serving. They will each have a drop-down partition to serve as firewall/divider. The upper Commons area (current cafeteria) will be modernized for a variety of seating options and will lead down into a lower commons (now the south section of the Media Center). The three-foot difference in floor level will be used to create counter space to add more variety. The current hallway adjacent to the Media Center will be a ramp down to entry level and will also provide variety. Altogether the new space will offer seating for about another 150 over what it is now.

The main entrance will contain inner doors that will lock during school hours, and alcove access to the office, so that anyone coming in after hours will have to pass through the office reception area. Office rooms will be rearranged, and the office area will be opened to the hallway with more glass.

Utility

The new arrangement provides many possibilities. The kitchen openings can be closed off to create another classroom or assembly space, and the split level arrangement can offer an impromptu stage area for events such as the FFA Banquet. The Commons can host visiting parents, or tournament teams. The mall-like space will include easy access to the cafeteria, the Media Center, and the office area, and is central between the Junior High and High School areas.

Proximity to the gym was mentioned as being desirable. Board chair Rick Schultz explained that they’d looked into that, but it wasn’t feasible.

Financing

The project will run a total cost of no more than $1,365,000. (This includes the new kitchen equipment.) $150,000 of this money (earmarked for kitchen ventilation) will be covered by Health and Safety levy money, while the rest will be financed by general obligation Capital Facility Bonds.

The breakdown of expenses:

Construction:

Secure Entrance $175,000

Kitchen Improvements (Including Equipment)  $375,000

Cafeteria/Commons  $540,000

Contingency $80,000

Soft Costs:

Design/Eng.  $100,000

Testing/Commissioning/Permitting $60,000.00

Owner Costs:

Furn., Fixtures, Equip. $30,000

Total $1,365,000

A sample payment projection  showed the district’s obligation amounting to approximately $100,000 per year for 10 years.

“We will bid out the whole thing,” explained Supt. Kevin Wellen. The district will let bids to area banks and financial institutions to get the best rates.

This is a good time to float a building bond, since the current economic situation provides little incentive to sit on the money.

“We’re only getting about 0.8 percent in interest right now,” said Wellen.

A visitor expressed relief that the kitchen project was financed in such a way as not to jeopardize other projects, such as the possibility of a new gymnasium.

The board will need to commit to the project at the December 17 meeting, in order to secure the desired contractors and have the construction finished by September 2013.

Truth in Taxation Hearing

Before the meeting on the kitchen project, the district held their annual Truth in Taxation hearing, at 6:30.

For those who were unable to attend, there will be a follow-up meeting at 6:30 p.m. on December 17, at the New Richland Media Center, preceding the regular board meeting.

At the regular board meeting, the board will certify the final amount of next year’s tax levy.

The good news is that next year’s proposed levy of $1,346,573.32 is about $37,000 lower than last year’s, and still lower than two years ago when the district levied a portion of Health and Safety.

Maximum levy amounts are determined by State law, or by voter approval, in the case of the district’s current operating referendum.

The district chose to levy less than the maximum of the State-set portion, the first year the referendum was in place.

2012-13 Budget by Fund

The school district budget contains five funds: 1. General Fund (includes former transportation and capital expenditure funds). 2. Food service fund. 3. Community service fund (includes school-sponsored pre-school). 4. Debt service fund (bond payments). 5. Student activity fund (money in – money out from student activities, does not affect budget balance).

Revenues

General  $8,504,849 86.7%

Food Svc      428,500 4.4%

Comm. Svc   166,772 1.7%

Debt Svc      608,348 6.2%

Student Act. 95,000 1.0%

Scholarships 4,000 <0.1%

Total $9,807,469

Expenditures

General    8,501,364 86.7%

Food Svc.      395,553 4.0%

Comm. Svc. 144,817 1.5%

Deb Svc.        666,735 6.8%

Student Act. 95,000 1.0%

Scholarships 4,000 <1.0%

Total           $9,807,469

Fiscal Cliff

“What about the Fiscal Cliff?” asked board member John Harrington. “How much will that effect us?”

“The impact on the district,” said Wellen, “is about seven to eight percent of just the Federal part of governmental funding. Federal money is under 10 percent of our overall budget.”

What this means is that reductions in Federal funding will mean only seven to eight percent of that 10 percent, or 0.8 percent.

NRHEG is better off than some other areas, however. Some districts in other states, Wellen explained, depend on up to 50 percent of their funding from the Federal government because of their dependence on Federal Impact Aid. Areas in our own state such as those in the Iron Range, or including park reserves and reservations, also have a higher dependency. For these areas, significant cuts will occur on January 1, while NRHEG will not get impacted until July.

Wellen guessed that the funding loss will probably fall between $25,000 and $40,000.

“It’s noticeable but not a deal breaker,” said Wellen. “Last year we were this close to having to borrow. Not this year.”