Major Renovations Approved to Create Northwest Early Childhood Center

Tiny toilets aren't usually on the agenda at school board meetings, but the issue was raised in the Northwest R-1 School District as it discussed a major building renovation to provide for pre-school classes.

The Northwest Board of Education approved $743,900 in funds to renovate House Springs Intermediate School, transforming it into a districtwide home for early childhood education programs. The extensive renovations include the cost of purchasing child-size toilets, called "tiny toilets" by assistant superintendent Kevin Carl.

"When I was elected to the school board I never thought I'd be talking about toilets so much," said Sherri Talbott, board president.

Restroom facilities are a small part of the extensive renovation project, which is being designed by the William B. Ittner architectural firm. The transformation into the Northwest Early Childhood Center includes:

• Construction and renovation of a welcome center and multi-purpose room.
• Building an exterior ramp and installing a new canopy at the rear of the building.
• Modifying restrooms, including the addition of child-level sinks and toilets.
• Demolishing some walls and adding new windows, doors and floor.
• Replacing some vinyl floor tile with a rubberized tile.
• Installing new vinyl floor tile in the remainder of the building.
• Removing existing ceiling tile and replacing it with a new ceiling grid and tile.

Carl said he's confident the classroom spaces will be finished in time for the start of the school year that begins in August, he said some administrative spaces may still be unfinished.

The building improvements were approved by a 5-0 vote, with Nancy Bergfeld and Brian Haskins absent from the meeting.

In other action at the meeting:

• Three school board members, Retta Tuggle, Talbott and newly elected board member Nelson O. Weber, took the oath of office. The three were elected in the April 5 local election. Talbott was elected by the board as its president. Bergfield was elected as secretary. Gary Bonacker will be the new board secretary and Tuggle remains as treasurer.
• The board approved a bid of $303,000 from Ferrellgas for propane for the next year. Carl said the district actually is under budget for propane for the current school year, which he said might be attributable to the many snow days when the buildings were closed, prompting a bit of humor from Talbott. "So you're saying only the custodians froze," she said.
• A three-year bid from Waste Management of $195,210 for waste removal was approved by the board.
• The board approved a $25,652 bid from Accurate Paving for rehabilitation and repair of asphalt at parent drop-off areas and around the new playground.
• In anticipation of a new middle school concept, the district suggested several names with geographic connection to the North Jefferson Intermediate and Northwest Valley Intermediate schools. The ultimate decision was to be made by a student vote. At North Jefferson, students decided to rename the school Wood Ridge, with 61.5 percent of the vote. At Northwest Valley, however, a student write-in campaign received an overwhelming majority to keep the same name.