Max Osborne is with general contractor Tremco Roofing, which is working with Portland-based architects Certa Building Solutions, to determine the condition of the building housing the Blatchley Pool.
Osborne told the board that cores taken of the walls and roof back in October showed that the building’s basic structure was still sound, however there was such significant condensation in the walls and eaves that his firm recommended a major rebuild.
“The pool is still very safe to use this winter,” said Osborne. “You do not have a structural concern as far as the metal structural depth. However, there is a very much need to replace these walls, to go all the way back down to the framing, original framing, taking off the eaves taking off that old metal, and coming back with a complete air and vapor barrier in a spray foam process, and building that back out.”
Osborne said that the work could be done from the outside, preferably in summertime, in order to not interfere with the pool’s operation. The board will consider how to proceed at a future meeting.
In other business, the Sitka School Board heard from a new organization in the high school – one that is probably long overdue.
Sitka High senior Julia Nabua made the introductions.
“I’m thrilled to announce the creation of the Filipino Culture club at Sitka High School,” said Nabua. “This club aims to celebrate and promote Filipino culture, heritage, and traditions within our school community. We have chosen to name our club ‘Barkadas,’ which translates from Tagalog to mean ‘group of friends.’ We are a group of culturally-inclusive Filipinos and allies.”
Nabua said that the Barkadas had held a successful Salo-Salo in celebration of Filipino American History Month in October, with over 100 people attending.
Sitka families hoping to place their children in the district’s new tuition-based preschool program will have to wait a bit longer. Superintendent Deidre Jenson told the board that the district had hired a certified teacher to run the program, and was paying her out of Ventures funding. The plan was to use the teacher first to redesign Ventures, the district’s afterschool program, and provide staff with professional development, and then transition her to run the district’s new pre-K classroom in January.
“It’s a good, clean time to start a program,” said Jenson. “If we were to go November 18 (as a start date), you got three weeks and school’s down. So this just gives us a little more time to kind of do that and start in January with that pre-K program.”
The district plans to accept 10 students in its all-day preschool, and charge tuition of $1,500 per month.
Board member Tom William’s questioned the district’s decision to absorb the indirect costs of the pre-K program in the overall operating budget. Later in the meeting, he also challenged a decision to compensate non-certified staff, like secretaries and paraprofessionals, whose work hours are cut short on early release days, such as Alaska Day or before other school holidays.
The district drafted a memo to the non-certified staff’s union, SESPA, saying that personnel who lose a full work day because of early release, would be compensated with eight hours of paid time off during Spring Break. The district only recently implemented a time clock for hourly staff; in the past everyone – including salaried teachers – just got paid for a full day, even if school was dismissed early.
Williams argued that “crimes of the past don’t justify crimes of the future.” The remark prompted a tense exchange between Williams and district business manager Kathrynn Hollis-Buchanan.
Hollis-Buchanan: So what this is trying to do is have everybody okay with clocking out, and let’s just give you that time at another date when you already don’t have time being paid. The option would be ‘okay, even though we’ve done this for 50 years, we’re not going to do it anymore, because we don’t value you. So clock out and leave.’”
Williams: “That’s not what I said.”
Hollis-Buchanan: No, I know, but that’s how they will see it, because it somehow…
Williams: (interrupting) “You’re making an assumption. And I don’t think that that was a very fair comment to put me in that position… . And 50 years, you’re throwing these things out there. It’s hyperbole.”
Hollis-Buchanan: “I’m sorry. The opinion is that it’s supposed to be a nice gesture for them to allow them to leave early and spend time with their families. That’s all.”
Board president Phil Burdick pointed out that the memo and the policy have no impact whatsoever on the budget. He thought maybe it should be incorporated into future contract negotiations. Williams said he objected to the move on principle, and found it disappointing.
The next regular meeting of the Sitka School Board is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 4. Burdick said he would try to keep it to an hour so that everyone could attend the Keet Gooshi Heen concert scheduled for later the same evening.
