Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent: boiler failures, dark exterior areas and lead testing prompts fixes across district
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Geeslin reported an undersized boiler at the middle school, plans for exterior lighting and school-zone light repairs, and results from testing more than 200 water outlets that led to 15 unused outlets being shut off and roughly 50 outlets scheduled for mitigation.
Superintendent Dr. Geeslin told the Granite Falls School District board that the district is addressing several facility and safety concerns identified during recent inspections and testing.
At the Granite Falls Middle School STEAM building, an undersized boiler failed and the district is operating on temporary heating while parts arrive. "The current boiler is undersized," Geeslin said, and the district plans to replace parts this summer with a temporary part arriving on Friday to keep the building functioning in winter.
Geeslin also raised concerns about exterior lighting: he described dark drop-off areas where students exit buses and said the district will add exterior lighting on the front, sides and back of the building to improve safety and discourage trespassing. He noted the school-zone flashing light currently intended to warn motorists is not operating and the city is working to repair it. "Please go 20 through there," he reminded motorists, referencing the 20 mph school-zone limit.
On water quality, Geeslin summarized the district's testing program: "We tested over 200 outlets." He said about 15 unused outlets with very high lead readings were shut off immediately because they are not in regular use; roughly 50 outlets showed trace or low-level readings requiring mitigation such as faucet-component replacement or filters. The district is working with an experienced vendor; Geeslin said faucet replacement has proven most reliable in peer districts. He said the district will communicate results publicly and use model language from other districts to be transparent about mitigation steps.
Geeslin emphasized that some high readings were from outlets that had not been used in years and that the district will focus on mitigation for fixtures in normal use. "There will be some public posts and some things that we need to send out just so we're being very transparent with this process," he said.
Board members asked for targeted lighting in a known encampment area behind the middle school and thanked staff for the work. The superintendent noted some smaller, positive developments as well: Monte Cristo Elementary now has chilled water stations, which staff and students appreciated.
Next steps include vendor-led mitigation work (faucet replacement and selective filtering), continued communication with families and the community, and planned facility repairs over the coming months.
