Recommendation: Vacate Asa Wood
School board committee proposes four-year timeframe
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
February 25, 2009
A Libby School Board committee is recommending that the district set a four-year timeframe to move out of Asa Wood Elementary.
"We recognize that we’ve got to pretty much vacate that building," said buildings and grounds committee member Tony Rebo during last Tuesday’s board meeting.
That could mean moving the elementary classes into a new school or consolidating them at the middle school, Rebo said.
Committee member Lee Disney agreed.
"We’ve talked about it, and our recommendation as a committee to the board is that we make a commitment to be out of that building one way or the other within the next four years," Disney said.
Asa Wood dates to 1953 and was originally built as a junior high school. Two classroom wings were added on in 1956 and 1960. Safety concerns were raised last winter when snow-removal equipment knocked a hole in an exterior wall and vermiculite spilled out. Other issues with the building include outdated heating and ventilation, electrical, fire suppression and plumbing systems; the need for secure entrances and exits; operational and maintenance costs; restroom facilities; and problems with the roof. Educational needs include more and larger classrooms with wider hallways; a library/media center; a kitchen and cafeteria; a multipurpose room; and the ability to support current technology.
The boiler used to heat Asa Wood is using 400 gallons of fuel oil per day, Rebo said. In comparison, Rebo said the boiler at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital – a much larger building – uses only 100 gallons a day.
"There are some issues with the age of that boiler, and it’s just not running efficiently," he said.
"That’s another reason to get out of that building in three to four years," said board chairman Jerry Frament. "Because that boiler is eating our lunch."
The cost of building a new school has been estimated at around $14 million, while renovating the existing building would cost more than $15 million. The district has applied to U.S. Sen. Max Baucus for a $12 million federal appropriation to fund new construction.
Earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, district curriculum and grants director Jael Prezeau had reported that the federal government’s economic stimulus package includes $106 billion for education. About half of that is earmarked for a nationwide stabilization program intended to prevent teacher layoffs and modernize buildings. The money can be used for renovation of existing buildings but not for new construction, Prezeau said.
"What if we get lucky?" board member Gela Koehler asked during the discussion on Asa Wood. "What if we’re one of those districts that gets money to repair a building? Are we going to take it?"
"What if we get $12 million to build a new one?" countered superintendent Kirby Maki.
"We need to keep all our options on the table," Disney said.
The board agreed to put the committee’s recommendation on the agenda for action at next month’s meeting.
Despite declining enrollment in recent years, the number of students in kindergarten through third grade is expected to remain relatively stable in the foreseeable future, Frament noted. Larger classes at the high school will be replaced by smaller classes, but the current average of around 90 students per grade at the elementary level is predicted to hold steady.
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Editor’s Note: See the February 24, 2009 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, now on Tuesday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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