MPHS Multipurpose Room Declared an Emergency

 

[February 02, 2024]    The Mt. Pulaski CUSD 23 Board of Education called their special meeting to order on February 1, 2023, at 4:00 PM in the Mt. Pulaski District Office, with all school board members in attendance.

There were no participants for Public Recognition.

The Board moved to amend the FY25 School Calendar to correct a mistake in the number of student attendance days. The original calendar had an extra day calculated into the school year. The amendment shortened the school year by one day to follow the district's collective bargaining agreement. The motion passed 5-2.

Next, the Board addressed the recent burst sprinkler pipe at the high school which has caused irreparable damage to the Multipurpose Room wood floor. Sections of the floor have warped and buckled more than 6 inches above floor level and the condition continues to worsen.

Superintendent Lamkey has been working with the insurance adjuster, architects and flooring manufacturers to mitigate the damage. All experts agree the floor is not repairable. Because of the time sensitive nature and the district's desire to avoid disruption to the school year, the Board voted 7-0 to declare an emergency. This emergency status allows the district to avoid the lengthy request for proposal process that is usually required for a project of this size. Without the emergency declaration, the district could be without the use of the Multipurpose Room into the start of next school year.

Mt. Pulaski Schools are a part of an insurance cooperative, Prairie State Insurance Cooperative (PSIC), which groups together Illinois schools with similar demographics to better serve their insurance needs. The district will only pay a $5000 deductible and insurance will cover all other damages caused by freezing pipes during our recent cold stretch. In all, damages are expected to be well over $200,000. Work on replacing the floor is scheduled to begin on February 8th.

Accommodations are being made to allow student activities to continue through the floor replacement. The floor is expected to be replaced prior to the end of the school year.

The Board next briefly entered into Executive Session to discuss student discipline. No further actions were taken by the Board and the meeting adjourned at 4:35 PM.

[Sarah Farris]