Adrian Board of Education moves forward with Michener athletic complex lighting project

Brad Heineman, The Daily Telegram
·4 min read

ADRIAN — Adrian Public Schools will be moving ahead with a new lighting and light pole demolition project at the Michener Elementary School athletic complex and has selected a contractor to complete the work.

Brint Electric Inc. will do the work for $279,750. It will take down eight outdoor lighting fixtures, which are likely more than 40 years old and only two of which are still in operation, and install newer and brighter lights. The light poles surround an area of school district land along Division Street that formerly served as the school’s baseball field. That area is near Maple Stadium and the high school soccer fields.

Two of the eight light poles and fixtures currently standing around the former Adrian Public Schools baseball field near Division Street and Maple Stadium are pictured in this April 12 file photo. The Adrian Board of Education has approved a project to take down these poles and replace them and the lights on them,
Two of the eight light poles and fixtures currently standing around the former Adrian Public Schools baseball field near Division Street and Maple Stadium are pictured in this April 12 file photo. The Adrian Board of Education has approved a project to take down these poles and replace them and the lights on them,

Because of the age of the lighting fixtures and the fact that only two of them are still in working order, district administration has deemed the light poles unsafe and necessary to be removed as a safety precaution. When the board first reviewed the proposed demolition project April 11, it was met favorably.

The board approved the project unanimously April 25. Brint, which has offices in Adrian and Toledo, was the lowest of five bidders. The project will be paid using the district’s general fund monies and from the capital projects and technology fund.

Four new poles and light fixtures are to be installed through the parking lot from the soccer field to Division Street. The final part of the project would be adding four more light poles around the soccer field. The increased amount of lighting was seen as a plus by the board and administration, which noted the advantages of having a lit driveway and also a lighted soccer playing field.

“This is a project I wish would have happened 20 years ago,” assistant superintendent Kathy Westfall said during the April 25 meeting. “It is long overdue, for sure.”

Board vice president Jon Baucher spoke on behalf of the district’s finance committee and said the committee has studied the proposal several times, going over it “with a fine tooth comb.” The committee, Baucher said, recommended the board move forward with the project.

“The addition of lights at the soccer field will enable the district to host MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) tournament events, such as regionals or districts. We can also host two games back-to-back for districts,” Westfall explained to the board. “More importantly, this will add a level of safety for the players as the end of the regular season games frequently coincides with the setting sun.”

A timeline for when the project is to begin and how long it will take are not known at this time. Westfall said the project could take several months, but “will be well worth the wait.”

In other business

The Adrian Board of Education at its April 25 meeting also:

  • Recognized several high school band and orchestra students for their successful performances and ratings received this spring at district festival. Springbrook Middle School band, orchestra and choir students were also recognized for their straight 1’s received during district festival performances.

  • Approved five resignations: paraprofessional Tracy Allen, effective April 22; Lincoln Elementary School first grade teacher Rachel Krzeczkowski, effective April 5; paraprofessional Amanda Hunter, effective April 29; Prairie Elementary School fourth grade teacher Paxton Naeback, effective June 3; and Head Start parent educator Dannielys Torrez Fernandez, effective May 13. The retirement of administrative assistant Denise DeCatur, effective June 30, was also approved.

  • Heard a proclamation from board President Beth Ferguson recognizing Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6.

  • Approved a new in-district schools of choice board policy that was drafted by the district’s policy service provider, Thrun Law Firm. According to an executive summary provided to the board by Superintendent Nate Parker, the board policy was not drafted by Thrun when the district adopted several written policies last year. In the summary, Parker said “it is necessary” to adopt the policy so that parents are aware of the selection process.

  • Approved a renewal agreement with ESS Midwest for human resource staffing services, extended from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. Positions covered under the contract include substitute food service workers, graduation coaches and the director of operations. Westfall said the district has contracted with ESS Midwest, originally PCMI, beginning with the 2009-10 school year. The rates charged to the district, she said, have remained the same since 2014-15.

  • Accepted two donations: a Chromebook device with an approximate value of $500 from board trustee Michael Ballard and $1,000 to the John McDaid Scholarship from Kathleen and Sean Gessendorf.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian schools proceeding with Michener complex lighting project