New school project pushing forward

Times staff report

The Carbon County District 1 School Board approved a contract to help find a construction manager for the new Rawlins elementary school project during a meeting last week.

The partnership with Bill Brown of Preconstruction Services should ease administrative efforts in the selection process. Brown should work with a committee from the district administration office, the schools, the School Facilities Commission and the district’s architecture firm to choose the applicant.

“It’s a big chore and a big decision to choose someone to help with building $20 million of elementary schools,” said Garry Goergen, business manager for the district.

Also at the meeting, School Board members:

• Scheduled the annual meeting with the certified teaching staff to discuss benefits, salaries and other financial issues, which should be held at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Carbon County Library. It is open to the public. The board members should discuss and vote on the staff concerns at 6 p.m. in the board room of the central administration office on Rodeo Street.

• Postponed a presentation from planning architect Brad Oberg on the design recommendations for the elementary schools. The presentation was based on a set of individual meetings with representatives from each department of the school.

• Reviewed, but delayed the approval of a revised policy concerning support staff leaves and absences until the district’s attorney verifies its compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act.

• Discussed and voted to hold approval of the Pine Cove Consulting technology support contract until the contract reads that no work will be done unilaterally, in order to avoid additional costs.

• Transferred the chief operating officer role to Associate Superintendent Neil Terhune in the prolonged absence of Superintendent Peggy Sanders. In her stead, Terhune will have authority matching that of the superintendent.

• Approved the expulsion of a Rawlins High School student.