This summer has been another busy one at Butler Schools with several projects near completion. At the elementary, four projects will be completed before school begins. We are pleased that the sidewalk to the east of the elementary, next to High Street was completed as a joint project with the city. The city was gracious enough to assist with the tear-out, which enabled the district to complete other identified projects. The sidewalk was cracked, uneven, and hazardous to walk on even when there was sufficient light. Now with the city’s help, it is only a memory.
An additional playing surface was renovated at the elementary playground so that students can have more days outside when there is wet weather. I do realize that mud and any type of precipitation may only exist in our long-term memories, but history tells us that those conditions may return.
We have retiled three bathrooms and the lone project yet to be completed is to move the bus lane for loading and unloading to the west of the multi-purpose building. One of the issues the elementary will always have is that the location is locked right in the middle of a residential area, creating traffic issues for the many who choose to pick-up and drop-off their children at the school. By moving the bus zone to the west, we will reduce traffic to the bottle-neck at the corner of High Street and Dakota Street. No solution will completely solve this issue, but we hope that this will help move traffic more efficiently and keep our students safer.
At the high school, the east lot was resurfaced to prolong the life of the pavement and backdrop curtains will be replaced in the auditorium. The most frequent question I have heard about is the activity at the track facility. In the coming months, you should see a concrete pad installed to the west side of the track. At the end of October, a new home bleacher system will be in place so that we can become a host to track meets in the spring of 2013. Once the bleachers are in place, a security fence will encompass the site for additional protection. We are pleased that so many of our community members use the facility and as we continue our progress, it will become more user friendly.
The projects that the district has undertaken have focused on student safety and instilling pride in our school system. In the next few months, we will be creating a Strategic Planning Committee that will look at some of our long-term facility needs. We need business leaders, senior citizens, parents, and our school staff, to help us make informed decisions. While it is easy to identify needs one to two years down the road, we need to hear from you about our long-term goals. Members of this committee will be asking our patrons their thoughts and feedback on district identified priorities. If you have a desire to serve on this committee please give Alan Stauffacher, district superintendent, a call at 679-0653.
For the kids,
Alan Stauffacher
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