by Eric Harrold
With the end of the 2023-24 school year fast approaching, the new construction scheduled to begin this spring for South O’Brien School District is a topic that received attention multiple times at the most recent school board meeting on Feb. 19.
It began with public hearings held at 6:00 p.m., and 6:05 p.m., for the proposed construction projects at Paullina and Primghar. Superintendent Wade Riley read each notice of public hearing and stated that no written requests were received from anyone wishing to speak, and then asked if anyone in attendance had come to speak and received no response.
In their monthly director reports, buildings director Tina Rauschmann, and maintenance director Micheal Hofmeyer both referenced preparation for the stage construction that is scheduled for the elementary school in Primghar. Plans are to begin that project on April 1.
Later in the meeting, when discussing the need to schedule make-up days, the board ultimately tabled that decision until a later date, with the main factor mentioned being the start date given by the contractor awarded the bid for construction.
“We are preparing for an April 1 start date but that will depend on who the general contractor is,” said Superintendent Wade Riley. “We won’t know for sure until we know who the contractor is on the specifics, but I have alerted my staff to be prepared if things get rolling fast.” 
Riley said the gym will be renovated to repurpose it back into having a stage used for fine arts performances.
“We have a few bathroom projects along with a few alternates that will address some Americans with Disabilities Act issues that currently exist,” he added. “Those projects will only go through if the rest of the bids come in line with where we think they will.”
When asked about a timeframe, Riley reiterated that it will largely depend upon the contractor, but the district is hoping it will start in April and conclude in September.
Riley identified the funding sources for the projected $2 million stage project as the school bond, PPEL, and SAVE.
The remaining schedule for the bidding process includes a pre-bid meeting for contractors on Thursday, Feb. 22. March 12 will be the deadline for the receipt of bids, and March 18 is the date that the school district will announce the acceptance of the lowest responsible bids.
Other notables from the meeting:
Riley announced that the Primghar site has been awarded federal funding for a summer lunch program, with any student under 18 years of age being eligible to participate.
During Elementary principal Jean Steen’s report, she announced that the Book Blast resulted in funding raised sufficient to provide six books to every elementary school student.
FFA vice president Brett Evans, chaplain Bode Bailey, and member Ethan Schwarz delivered a summary presentation to the board on 2023 activities pertaining to leadership development, competitive events, environmental stewardship, community involvement, and social events. The students were accompanied by FFA advisor Eric Kumm.
The board approved the use of Nutrition funds for the purchase of a new dishwasher for Primghar, along with a purchase of a replacement for a 25-year-old refrigerator and new oven in Paullina for a total cost of $28,153.22 through Jess Food Equipment.
The board approved a bid for the purchase of a new bus from BlueBird Corporation at a cost of $163,860 over a bid from Thomas Bus of Des Moines for $164,679, citing replacement part availability.
The board considered approval of a modified school calendar, adding May 24th as a makeup day for students, and then tabled further discussion of makeup days to a later date.