April to be full of bid-related dates

Several big dates are approaching regarding construction of the Monticello Community School District’s new grade 5-8 building, all within the month of April.

The dates were listed as part of the regular meeting of the Monticello School Board March 25. Each of the events will be held in the Administrative Board Room.

First is a public hearing for proposed drawings, specifications, form of contract, and proposed cost for the project, which will include new middle school construction and existing high school renovations. That will be Monday, April 8 at 6 p.m.

A pre-bid conference will take place Tuesday, April 9 at 2 p.m., and the board’s regular work session will be Wednesday, April 10 at 6 p.m.

The opening of

construction bids will take place Monday, April 22, 2 p.m. in the board room. As a result, the board will move its regular April meeting from April 22 to Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m. to give OPN Architects time to review the specifics of the bids prior to board consideration.

Another big topic at Monday’s meeting was the approval of the 2019-20 certified budget. A public hearing on the certified budget was held at the start of the meeting, and the budget was later approved.

The board approved a property tax levy of $14.25084 per $1,000 of taxable valuation and an income surtax of .01 percent and a .01 PPEL tax. The levy keeps the management fund at $200,000.

While the levy is higher than the $12.28821 levied last fiscal year, it is below the $15 approved by voters as part of the bond issue election.

In other board business:

• The board approved an amendment to the current certified budget. The change in estimates of expenditures is financed from increased receipts and balances not budgeted or considered in the current budget.

At the start of the meeting, the board held a public hearing on amending the current budget, and no public comments were offered.

• The board tabled approval of a 28E agreement between Kirkwood Community College, the Workplace Learning Connection and the Monticello district, for lack of a quorum. Three board members were at the meeting, but one of those, Craig Stadtmueller, is employed by Kirkwood, requiring him to abstain from voting on the item.

• The board approved the purchase of the 300e, 11-inch touchscreen Chromebooks for grades 3, 7 and 10, as part of the scheduled rotation of purchases for 1-to-1 technology. The district will purchase 270 Chromebooks at a cost of $65,853 from CDW.

• As part of the consent agenda, the board approved several staff appointments: Sarah Goldsmith as preK-6 science curricular lead, Kayla Schockemoehl as National Honor Society sponsor, Chance Manternach as middle school boys track coach and freshman-sophomore baseball coach, and Adam Szurkowski as assistant varsity baseball coach.

Seven substitute bus drivers were also approved: Paul Fellinger, John “Hoppy” Wright, Jim Reuter, Ron Offerman, Jim Plummer, Laurie Hermsen and Nate Spahr.