School bus idling examined by board

Policies on reducing the exposure of diesel exhaust to students and drivers in the Brainerd School District and a policy on ways to maximize the use of school facilities were looked at Monday.

The Brainerd School Board approved the first reading of the policies.

The district's school bus idling policy had to be looked at because of new state mandates that require school districts to minimize children's exposure to school bus diesel fumes, reported Denise Sundquist, the district's health and safety director.

In the policy it states that buses must limit idle time in front of school buildings; the practice of idling should only be done during inclement weather; buses should never idle when bus windows are open; and buses should arrive as close to the pickup time as possible to reduce the opportunity to idle. Buses also should not idle when there are several buses lined up together in a row.

The use of school district facilities and equipment policy also was updated. This policy is to provide guidelines for community use of school facilities and equipment. The school board discussed raising its rates for people to rent school district space, such as Tornstrom Auditorium.

School activities and functions have priority on using the facilities.

In other school business, the school board:

Accepted resignations from special education teachers, Michelle Blanck, at Franklin Junior High, and Joan Storlie, Brainerd High School, to be effective at the end of the 2002-03 school year.

Did not renew a teaching contract with Joshua Sunnarborg, a high school industrial technology teacher, who was on probation.

Hired Charles Anderson, Sherry Glumac and Kathryn Kidd, as elementary teachers; Marcus Aulie, elementary music teacher; Nicole Kellerman and Kyle Spray, mathematics teachers; Annie Kline, speech/language teacher; Audra Lind-Albrecht, English teacher; Sara Crabb-Erickson and Amy Erickson, special education teachers; and Mark Hardesty, substitute teacher, for the 2003-04 school year.

Awarded the house bid to Thomas and Maria Liemandt of Fort Ripley for $35,100. The Liemandts purchased the house the high school students built in their building trades class. The cost of the materials for the home was $34,000.

There was only one bid submitted.

Received a local contractor analysis for Forestview Middle School. The report shows that of the $45,588,304 cost of the school, $20,814,895 of it was contracted to local contractors.

Brainerd Superintendent Jerry Walseth said the local contractors included St. Cloud. He said of this amount, $2.25 million is for materials from local vendors, including W.W. Thompson Concrete Products Co. of Brainerd and Northland Brick of Baxter. The mason contractor is from Eagan, but received its materials from the area, Walseth said.

He also said several contractors hired area laborers.

Walseth said the report did not include the people who travel to the Baxter site to work and the money they spend on food, lodging, etc.

Heard from the Building Committee that it discussed a three-year agreement with the National School Fitness Foundation to provide equipment, curriculum and training to the district as part of its fitness program. The committee plans to recommend to the school board to enter into the agreement at a cost of $219,000 at its July meeting.

The National School Fitness Foundation program has an option for schools to receive equipment to set up a cardiovascular and strength workout gym. The training is designed for a group of students to spend 20 minutes a day with cardiovascular work and some strength training.

Information is gathered on the progress of the students and is sent to the foundation. The foundation then in return will reimburse the district for the equipment leases. At the end of the three-year contract the equipment may be purchased for $1 or may be returned to the foundation.

If the school board approves the agreement, the fitness space amount to 1,800 square feet and would be placed in Mississippi Horizons.