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Superintendent outlines generator replacements, stage rigging and siding work; half-percent sales tax funds cited
Summary
Superintendent Ford Slack reported July 23 that the district is replacing an aging generator at Point Higgins, rerigging an auditorium stage for life-safety, repairing siding at Schonbar and addressing fire-alarm problems, and said many projects draw on the borough's half-percent sales tax and DEED reimbursement processes.
Superintendent Ford Slack told the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District Board of Education on July 23 that district maintenance teams completed summer inspections and are advancing several capital and life-safety projects, some funded through a locally managed half-percent sales tax allocation.
Key projects and schedule: Point Higgins generator: Ford Slack said the district is replacing a roughly 40-year-old generator at Point Higgins after repeated mechanical failures and advice from the vendor that continued repairs were no longer viable. An electrician is installing automatic transfer switches and a skid-mounted replacement generator is expected to be placed and operational before school starts.
Fire alarms and beam detectors: The superintendent reported isolated problems with beam detectors and certain fire alarm circuits at Howling and Valley Park schools; she said the district is working with Advanced Communications and electrical staff to restore notifier circuits in gym spaces.
Stage rigging and auditorium work: The district is rerigging the main stage to address life-safety concerns; lighting and audio were updated in previous years and the rigging work is intended to extend the auditorium's useful life.
Schonbar siding: Ongoing siding repairs on the southeast wall of Schonbar are scheduled for completion around August when staff return, with work phased to start on the street side to minimize disruption of arrival and dismissal.
How projects are funded: Ford Slack described the district's annual six-year capital improvement planning process and the role of the state DEED review (the superintendent said DEED scoring requires thorough documentation). She said some projects are eligible for partial reimbursement through DEED; others are paid from the borough half-percent sales tax allocation dedicated to facilities and borough services. "That half a percent is what we all pay for facilities," she said, describing it as a locally administered funding source the district uses for capital and non-capital facility work.
Timing and oversight: The superintendent said the district partners with local contractors and regional vendors (some work sourced from Anchorage) and is sequencing work to avoid disrupting school operations. She told the board the district would continue submitting the required DEED materials to preserve eligibility for reimbursement and stressed the value of public support for renewing the half-percent sales tax when it goes to voters in October.
What the board needs to know: No new project appropriations were voted at the July 23 meeting; the board received the superintendent's report as part of the regular updates and will see project details and any formal contract awards as separate agenda items if and when they need board authorization.
