Fixes needed for Mondovi Elementary playground
by Beth Kraft
Various plastic components of Mondovi Elementary’s more than 20-year-old playground are beginning to show their age.
At the Mondovi School Board’s monthly meeting held Monday, July 27, Mondovi Elementary Principal Paul Franzwa explained that last winter’s weather was tough on the aging playground structure. Various plastic components are cracking, creating a safety hazard, and work is being done this summer to remedy the problems.
Board members asked if there was any extra money left in the playground fund from a previous fundraiser to help with repairs.
Franzwa said there are some remaining funds, but playground equipment is quite expensive. He noted he is in the process of working with the manufacturer to fix or replace affected components.
Attending his first Board meeting as Mondovi’s new district administrator, Greg Corning updated the group on various summer maintenance projects and detailed a few changes he’s made in recent weeks.
A new ceiling grid and energy-efficient LED light fixtures are being installed at Anthony Elementary and should be completed soon. Additionally, Corning found there were some cost savings to be had by tweaking the district’s contract with its garbage hauler, Advanced Disposal.
Suspending regular pick-ups during the summer months and moving to calling in when a pick-up is needed should work out in the district’s favor, Corning said. Recyclables will now have their own containers, which should remove a number of materials from the dumpsters.
“It’s been a pretty fast first month already,” Corning added. “It’s been wonderful so far.”
Also that night, the Board approved a new property and liability insurance carrier and agreed to formally withdraw from coverage by the Local Government Property Insurance Fund.
District finance manager Kristi Zarins explained the district was handed a staggering 88 percent increase to its property insurance premium. Additionally, the district’s liability and workers comp policy was non-renewed by Wilson Mutual, as the company is getting out of that line of coverage, so Zarins investigated available options to cover the district’s property, liability insurance and workers comp needs.
She received four bids and recommended Greater Insurance Service (EMC) as the best option. The new carrier offers coverage that is the same or better than the district’s current coverage at a lower cost. The Board approve Zarins’ recommendation.
Zarins also commented on the Mondovi District’s equalization aid estimate for 2015-16 as announced by the DPI. Mondovi stands to take a $245,000 cut to its equalization aid, Zarins said, which means local taxes will go up to make up the difference. The district’s revenue limit also dropped $100,000.
Final numbers will be released in October.
In other business that night, the Board approved the following:
• extracurricular contracts for Scott Hayes, eighth grade football coach; KaitLynne Dregney, seventh grade volleyball coach; Tessa Harmon, eighth grade volleyball coach; Anna Johnson, fall and winter dance coach; Cassie Kees and Olivia Weiss, middle school dance co-coaches; Emily Erickson, cross country assistant coach; Kevin Stadter, eighth grade boys basketball coach
• 2015-16 extracurricular assignments
• 2015-16 dairy bid to Morning Glory Dairy (Dean Foods)
• 2015-16 bread bid to Bimbo Bakeries
• 2015-16 vehicle and heating fuel provider, Countryside Cooperative
• 2015-16 line of credit provider, Alliance Bank
• first reading of 2015-16 Elementary School handbook
• second reading of 2015-16 Middle School and High School handbooks
• second reading of Athletic Code Policy revisions
