by Austin Marsman

The Martin Board of Education Monday night approved bids for a $372,000 project that would build a new bus garage facility to provide more bus space and a new area for bus maintenance, allowing the district employees to complete their own repairs.

Mike Hammis, project manager for the ongoing construction bond project, interviewed all 27 bids applicants in eight categories. He outlined his suggestions from the competitive bids to the board, and they approved the bids recommended.

Trustee John Vandenberg voiced some concern about using money from the general fund, but Superintendent David Harnish said it would ultimately come down to careful budgeting and offset some costs through contingency money left from the bond.

Board President Jennifer Harrison said now is the time for such a project,asserting, “If we wait until the bond project is done and some of these contractors are off-site, the prices will go up.”

In other business the board:

• Approved a modified spring athletic coaching staff, hiring Damon Blackburn and Michael McGuire to join Pete Boyd in coaching track.

• Approved financing the purchase of a new school bus at $82,878.

• Heard an update from Mike Hammis about the remarkable progress on the bond construction.

• Listened to plans from the Building and Grounds Committee on a proposed 40- x 100-foot storage shed near the new baseball field. There would be two storage rooms to house athletic equipment and needed materials. Additionally, adding seasonal bathrooms accessible to the baseball field and visiting football fans was discussed.

• Considered, but denied a Student Council proposal to re-open campus during lunch period as an “academic reward” for juniors and seniors. The Board Policy Committee, after reviewing an in-depth proposal, recommended against the idea. They cited recent school safety concerns, lack of businesses to visit uptown, and the strain it would place on staff among other concerns.

• Noted the Board Policy Committee is getting the language in the school attendance policy “cleaned up and clear-cut” by the fall.

• Learned that Superintendent Harnish was pursuing a grant for a greenhouse project, supplementing the new 20,000-square-foot community garden and kickstarting a “farm at school” initiative.

• Was excited by news from Harnish that phase one the solar panels could begin to be installed this week and learned that a ribbon cutting could happen in the first week of May.