Fleming Schools to apply for BEST grant to help fund addition of two new classrooms

The Frenchman Board of Education plans to proceed with a BEST grant application for major renovations the school district building in Fleming. Plans are to submit the completed application next month.

The decision to submit the grant application comes following a zoom meeting with the Colorado Department of Education and Treanor, a full-service architectural firm, at the start of a mid-December board of education meeting. The local school board opted to move forward with the BEST grant application process which requests funds to add two new classrooms.

According to information from Superintendent Steve McCracken, the request includes a major renovation to the building that would close the courtyard and build two new classrooms on the north side of the building.

“Our application will be submitted in February,” he said. “If approved by the BEST grant committee, we will put a question on the November 2024 ballot asking voters to approve purchasing the bonds needed to complete the project.”

At the start of the Dec. 13 meeting, board members heard a request from the graduating class of 2024 for the annual senior trip. Members of the class presented plans for seven students and three sponsors to travel to Sarasota, Fla. in mid-March.

Plans are for the group to do a kayaking tour, visit a trampoline park, swim with dolphins and tour Busch Gardens. Later in the meeting, the BOE voted to approve the trip, slated for March 18-21.

Board members also heard from Scott Szabo, with Lauer, Szabo and Associates. Szabo presented the financial audit for the fiscal year ending in June 2023. The local auditor gave a favorable report, noting the district is in good financial standing with more than adequate amount of reserves. The audit report was approved as presented later in action items.

At the beginning of staff reports, Randy Stahley presented a proposal to build a greenhouse for the Fleming Ag program. Stahley has secured funding with a grant from the Northeast Colorado Board of Educational Services to help support career and technical programs.

McCracken said the greenhouse will be built on the south side of the ag shop with construction set to begin this month with dirt work, utilities and cement work. The total cost of the greenhouse project is $114,631.

Later, in action items, the Board approved a quote from GrowSpan for the build of the greenhouse.

In other business the BOE:

• Approved Nicole Akey as a substitute teacher;

• Voted to approve Northeast BOCES members ships fees for 2023-24;

• Approved an invoice from BRS Garage, LLC for bus repairs;

• Voted to increase the adult lunch price to $4.65;

• Approved a full-time counselor for the 2024-25 school year;

• Set the general fund mil levy at 28.141.

The next school board meeting in Fleming is slated for Jan. 16 at 6 p.m.