Many of you have noticed the road construction going on behind the school. This road, South Oak Street, runs north to south parallel to our school's westerly boundary. The city of Pequot Lakes is upgrading our road as part of its 2009 South Oak Street road improvement project.
What this means for the school district is improved drainage on the east side of Oak Street and a new parking area running east and west along the south side of the ball fields. The new parking area should provide space for up to 60 vehicles when completed.
Within the high school/middle school, we will be continuing to improve our indoor air quality by replacing three air handling systems with new and improved, energy efficient, computer operated and monitored mechanical systems.
These systems are being replaced to bring more of our mechanical systems up to state code. The units will provide the proper amount of fresh air necessary per student and also provide energy efficient dehumidification.
The summer break is always a very busy time for our custodial staff. Routine as well as non-routine tasks are completed during this time. The district's custodial staff takes great pride in providing our students an extremely clean and healthy environment in which to learn, study and play.
Rooms and hallways are cleaned top to bottom, including floor stripping and waxing, carpet cleaning through extraction and drying.
The gymnasiums are lightly sanded and given a fresh coat of sealer.
When students return in the fall, we hope they feel proud to attend Pequot Lakes High School/Middle School, Eagle View Elementary and the Community Education Center.
Maintenance staff will be busy completing requests made by administrators. Every year principals sit down with the director of buildings and grounds to review and prioritize requests that have been made by teachers and staff.
Not all requests can be completed, but we do our best with what we have. At the end of the school year, maintenance staff also review mechanical, plumbing and general building conditions to prioritize what repairs and improvements can be completed within the time and budget available.
As you can see, it is very busy for us during the summer months, and don't forget activities do not stop within the buildings during this time. We have summer programs and activities to support and work around.
It is an exciting and challenging time for us, but we are up for it. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and the district and look forward to another great year ahead.
(Bill Chose is director of buildings and grounds for the Pequot Lakes School District.)
