Altamont Unit 10 approves contract for high school kitchen remodeling

Nov. 16—Altamont Unit 10 approved a performance contract with GRP/Wegman Co. Monday for renovations to the kitchen at the high school.

The district has been discussing the need to upgrade the kitchen for several years as its condition continues to deteriorate. In total, the project will cost $791,780 and will include a new walk-in cooler.

The district hopes to cover a portion of the project's cost with a $50,000 matching grant that is annually administered by the state of Illinois for maintenance projects.

The district also made an adjustment to the scope of the project to decrease its initial estimated cost.

"We decreased the size of the walk-in cooler by 50%," Maintenance Director Alan Whitt said.

"Cutting down that walk-in cooler size is saving $11,000, or just over, on the overall price of the project," Superintendent Casey Adam said.

Board President Dale Laue noted that the cooler won't require as much energy to stay cold as the larger cooler the district first considered.

"So it will be a little more efficient," Laue said.

Before voting to approve the contract, Board Secretary Chris Guse asked if his fellow board members were "comfortable" with the cost of the project, and Vice President Dane Milleville asked for assurance that the project won't require the district to cover the cost of any "overages."

"I want to do my due diligence here," Guse said.

Laue told Milleville he doesn't believe the district will have to pay any more than the cost reflected in the contract, and he explained that remodeling a kitchen is "basically the most expensive thing you can do."

In preparation for the remodeling, the board also approved a consulting contract with IDEAL Environmental Engineers for the abatement of asbestos in the high school kitchen. The district expects work on the kitchen remodeling to take place this summer.

Also during the meeting, Adam asked board members to consider a potential replacement for the district's current website provider, SchoolMessenger Co., recommending a switch to Apptegy.

"We continue to have internal concerns about our website not being the best that it could be," Adam said. "I think that's pretty fair to say, and this would really address that issue. I just really feel like this would be a major leap in the right direction to address the website concerns."

According to Adam, Apptegy would keep track of the district's data and allow the district to share important information with students and parents.

"One of the biggest selling points for Apptegy is that it really puts the tools in the teachers' hands as far as their ability to share things from their classroom that are going on," Adam said.

The board didn't take any action on the matter, but members are expected to take another look at the program in the future.

Adam said it would initially cost the district about $3,800 to sign onto a five year agreement with Apptegy. The cost of program would be based on the district's enrollment.

"The website we have now is not really user friendly," Laue said. "This is more user friendly, but it is more expensive."

Meanwhile, Adam shared the district's estimated 2023 tax levy and recommended that the district request a levy 10% above what it asked for last year.

"We are estimating that we are going to see about a 9% increase in our EAV, which is what is used to calculate tax bills," Adam said.

Adam said every other school district in Effingham County is going to request a similar increase, and she explained that this is largely due to recent increases in property taxes.

"Each of them are all doing between 10 and 20 above the previous year, and all of that is due to the increase in EAV that everyone is seeing," Adam said.

The board did not take any action on the matter, but members will be required to hold a truth in taxation hearing before voting on the proposed tax levy next month.

In other matters, the board:

—Approved the purchase of a used 2023 Chrysler Voyager from A & H Implement Co. in the amount of $31,500.

—Accepted the resignation of Tessa Philpot as a seventh grade basketball coach, Gus Koester as a golf coach and Carly Dorr as an Altamont High School dance coach.

—Approved the hire of Elizabeth Chambers as a seventh grade volleyball coach, Emily Wolff as an Altamont High School dance coach and Lindsay Drukin as an Altamont Grade School paraprofessional.

—Approved Shaun Spletcher as a volunteer coach for the Altamont Junior High volleyball team.

—Approved the board's 2024 meeting dates.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.