Superintendent: air-conditioning would not improve air quality
After a 60-minutes closed-door session on Monday, Sept. 16, Garaway Board of Education approved Superintendent Dr. James Millet and district treasurer Sheryl Hardesty to forgo their vacations and move to a 230 work-day calendar with pay per day up to 260 days and to include the central office holidays as part of their contracts, retroactive to Aug. 1, 2024.
Millet explained the process if the board agrees to move forward with installing air-conditioning in all the district buildings and gave estimated costs.
“We had different organizations offer to purchase window air-condition units; however, the electrical system in the school will not withstand window units,” Millet said. “If the board would agree to move forward, they would need to have a good engineering study. Air-conditioning would not improve the air quality in the schools.”
Millet said the estimated cost to install air-conditioning for the high school/middle school would be about $1.9 million, Baltic Elementary would be $1.2 million, Dundee Elementary would be $1 million, Ragersville Elementary would be $925,000 and Miller Avenue Elementary would be $700,000. It would cost an estimated $28,000 in operating costs per year in all the district buildings.
He said a new high school/middle school would cost about $30 million to construct, and a new elementary would cost about $20 million or higher.
The board also did the following:
—Accepted $2,000 from Garaway Athletic Boosters for football uniform dry cleaning, $1,000 from Abby Schoeder and $500 from Hummel Insurance for the athletic department apple fritter tent, $2,000 from Gerber and Sons for high school gym wall padding, and $500 from Tuscarawas Insurance Agency for the high school gym video board.
—Approved the donation of two portable pickleball nets to the village from the Class of 2024 project.
—Approved a substitute bus driver rate of $17.50 per hour for routes and trips to match trip rates in the OAPSE contract.
—Entered into a contract with East Central Ohio ESC for a part-time certified Spanish language teacher.
—Gave approval of a contract with Traveling Classrooms for the eighth-grade Washington, D.C. trip May 13-15.
—Approved the Appalachian Trail Hike March 25-28 and two school vans to be used for out-of-state transportation to Daleville, Virginia, about 364 miles one way.
—Approved a one-year classified contract to Patricia Maurer, van driver, pupil transportation, for 1.5 hours per day, effective Aug. 27.
—Granted one-year supplemental contracts to Lisa Sommers, fall play and spring musical director, and Brooke Sommers and Lisa Fockler, assistant fall play directors.
—Issued one-year athletic stipends to Brandalyn Regula and Emily Reneker, seventh-grade girls basketball, and David Tyler Masters, middle school wrestling coach.
—Approved 20 volunteers for wrestling in seventh grade through 12th grade.
—Entered into an agreement with East Holmes Local School District to provide members of the East Holmes wrestling program with the opportunity to participate in practices and trainings conducted by the Garaway wrestling program at the district facilities and for the East Holmes wrestling team to receive transportation from Garaway to and from wrestling meets/competitions in which both programs are participating.
Other information
Recognized August Athlete of the Month recipients Kylie Miller and Trace Gibson. Both are members of their respective golf teams.
The next meeting will be held Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in the high school library, 146 Dover Road NW, Sugarcreek.