South Sanpete School District OKs spending for sports equipment
Lloyd Call
Associate publisher
4-20-2017
MANTI—Steps are being taken to have a new scoreboard installed at the Manti High School football field following action by the South Sanpete School Board at meeting last week.
Manti High School football coach Cole Meacham told the board, which met Wednesday, April 12 at Manti Elementary School, that C.O. Building Systems in Ephraim had offered to install supports for scoreboard at no charge, which translated to about a $10,000 donation.
The company is also creating a metal Templar warrior for the top of the scoreboard using its laser cutting technology. I-Four Media is helping design the warrior, also as a donation.
The board gratefully accepted the offer from C.O. Buildings and I-Four Media, and approved $10,000 to buy the scoreboard itself.
“The old scoreboard is the original scoreboard, and is on its last legs,” Meacham told the board. “The new scoreboard will be wireless, digital and be dependable.”
Board members noted that Manti’s two softball-field scoreboards had stopped working recently and would also have to be replaced.
The board also reviewed a number of projects that will be undertaken as soon as school is out. (See accompanying chart.)
Besides projects on the chart, the board is considering retrofitting and replacing the entire HVAC system at Gunnison Valley High School. The process would include removal of the coal-fired boiler. The board is also considering retrofitting or replacing HVAC control systems at three other schools.
In other action, the board approved changes to next year’s fee schedules, adding a $3 messaging fee at both the middle and high school. The fee would cover setup costs for enabling the school to communicate with parents by text message.
Other increases included a hike in the high school art class fee from $15 to $20, and a increase from $30 to $35 for most sports. In the case of football, the board increased the fee from $45 to $50.
The board discussed at length what board members learned from attending the recent National School Board Association convention; got updated on the district’s Career and Technology Education’s programs; reviewed the school strategic plans for the coming year; and heard about career readiness programs.
“It’s not just enough to say our students have graduated from high school,” Superintendent Kent Larsen said, “We need to make sure our students are really ready for the whole college experience, not just to take classes.”
Larsen added, “We want our students to get everything out of high school that they can. It should not just be about classes, tests, and credits, but extracurricular activities, art, social events, service and community.”
The board also reviewed on a first reading a new policy on data security.
The next board meeting will be May 10 at Ephraim Elementary School at 3:30 p.m.
