Painting crew hired to re-do HHS gymnasium

Haxtun High School's gym will receive a major facelift next summer. The local board of education approved hiring Top Notch Painting for the gym painting project in a meeting early last week. In addition to the approval of the painting project, the Haxtun Board of Education approved several substitute positions and reviewed the 2023-24 audit.

At the start of the Tuesday, Nov. 19 meeting, board of education members heard an audit presentation for the 2023-24 year from Auditor Scott Szabo. According to Superintendent Aron Jones, the audit went well and Haxtun Schools received a positive report.

"We were given a clean audit, which illustrates our compliance with accounting standards and practices as well as having strong checks and balances within the system. Our Capital Reserve went up and we have about a six month reserve, which is healthy," Jones said.

Szabo, with Lauer Szabo and Associates in Sterling, has performed the local school district's audit for a number of years and annually visits the Board to review his findings.

The audit report, as presented by Szabo, for fiscal year 2023-24 was later approved unanimously during action items.

Also during action items, board members reviewed the gym painting project, which is slated to take place summer 2025. The bid officially accepted from Top Notch Painting totals $17,600.

Jones said the Haxtun Education Foundation has pledged some funds towards the project and the District plans to pick up a portion of the cost as well. However, additional grants and funding options are still being sought.

"The BOE voted on using premium paint all around from floor to ceiling. We will repaint in white over the existing wording on the walls. We plan on taking pictures to maintain the history of the gym," said Jones.

The November meeting also brought the addition of several substitute approvals including the following: Tommy Davis, substitute elementary custodian; Shannon Scholten, certified substitute teacher; and Jeri Soens, classified substitute para-professional.

In his report to board members, Jones gave a brief update on the status of the District's BEST grant application process. He said he has started working on necessary revisions to the application and plans to meet with the facilities planning committee in early December.

Haxtun Schools applied for a BEST grant last year, for a project that would include a new Vo-Ag/ CTE space; new elementary and early childhood classrooms; new elementary/ auxiliary gym, locker rooms and weight room; and new centrally-located, shared-space including media arts center, kitchen and cafeteria. However, the application was not approved in the last cycle.

Plans are to re-apply in the next, upcoming cycle, which takes place this spring.

Haxtun voters passed 5B during the 2023 General Election, which will be used to match funds from a BEST grant, if and when the District should be awarded one. Bond funds will not be collected until the District has been approved for the grant. The 5B issue on last year's ballot passed 449 to 214.

"We are committed to improving our facilities and learning environment for our students and will continue to re-apply in the next BEST grant cycle," an official statement from the local School Board said this summer, when news that last year's application was not approved by the BEST grant committee.

In other business the Board:

• Approved closure of school on Nov. 6 due to blizzard conditions;

• Approved the closure of school on Nov. 11 due to lack of substitutes for volleyball playoff games.