M-P summer projects include elevator, roof, remodeling

By Mary Zielinski
Summer work project in the Mid-Prairie School District total $731,089 with more than half of that for a new roof at the middle school ($302,500) and a new $260,700 elevator at the high school. The remainder involves a number of remodeling projects, including sidewalks and $40,206 in ongoing repair costs.
The projects were part of the annual Maintenance Report and Infrastructure Plan presented to the Mid-Prairie Board of Education Monday by Team Custodian, the designation the custodial staff gave themselves more than 10 years ago.
“We are serious about upgrading buildings,” explained lead custodian Mike TeBockhorst, “and we have been working on it for the last ten years.” The team approach has saved the district money in outsourcing since the Team believes in learning how to do much of the work themselves. That includes, as mu7ch as possible, “going green,” but TeBockhorst said it is not possible to do everything because the “green” is more expensive.
However, each year they have manag3d to add to “more environmentally friendly” products, as well as keeping business as local as possible.
The report detailed building footage, number of class rooms and age, as well as cost reviews for the last ten years for each building that showed only a .9 percent average cost in increase for supplies the last five years. Plant operation costs (utilities), though has a 32.37 jump, much of reflecting rate increases for electricity and natural gas.
The report also contains specific long-term district needs, ranging from window replacements and parking lot surfacing to interior remodeling and boiler replacements projected through 2016. The planning is part of the work of the Community Advisory Committee formed in 2008.
The annual report is also known for its “show and tell” approach and Monday TeBockhorst showed up with a toilet stool (on a dolley) asking Superintendent Mark Schneider, who once worked as custodian, to “demonstrate the proper way to clean it.” Considering that the item was nearly pristine, Schneider had no problem. In fact, he did not have open any of the cleaning materials. In previous years, the Team Custodian has literally sang and danced about its work.
The Team (consisting of TeBockhort, Dennis Dawson, Bud Juilfs, Dan Rodgers and Rose Weber) remained for the energy audit discussion on the agenda with TeBockhorst asking the board “Why spend $230,000 to have someone tell us what we already know.”
Last month the board received a presentation from a firm offering to do an energy audit for all buildings for a cost of $32,000. The Team made it clear “we already know where the problems are.”
The issue was tabled, pending Schneider obtaining information from other firms. Schneider said he would call other districts regarding such audits. He added that he had asked the firm who their competitors were and was told, “we have none.”
In other business, the board:

• Appointed Doug Slaubaugh as its secretary and treasurer and named local banks as its depositories.