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Facilities update: Little Falls to open new daycare in March; pool filtration and solar projects moving ahead
Summary
Facilities staff reported the district’s daycare center is nearing completion and currently running under budget with a tentative March 10 opening; the Middle School pool has been drained for sand media replacement, district office remodeling begins in January, and an RFP for a ground-mounted solar array is active with a proposed May start date and an LED lighting replacement tied to a federal energy grant.
Facilities staff updated the Little Falls School Board on Dec. 16 about building projects across the district, including an imminent daycare opening, pool maintenance, and energy upgrades.
The district’s daycare center is moving into final punch list work: flooring, installation of cubbies, boiler testing and final inspections were scheduled, and the facilities lead reported licensing coordination with Kayla Gruber. The project is coming in under budget, and staff said some of the remaining contingency funds could be used for add‑ons such as an age‑appropriate playground. The district gave a tentative opening date of March 10 and described further steps for licensing and turnover to district operations.
Facilities staff also reported the Middle School pool was drained to replace the sand filtration media for the first time in roughly 20 years; the district hopes the media will be removable without extensive emergency repairs. The district office south half remodel will begin Jan. 6 with temporary moves planned and completion targeted for the end of March. Window repairs at Lindberg Elementary were described as a spring project, and options for replacing the Commons carpet with more durable flooring are being evaluated for June.
On energy projects, the district issued an RFP for a ground‑mounted solar array with bids due in the week following the meeting and a target May 1 start date if contracts are executed. The district also expects to have an energy‑grant contract from the U.S. Department of Energy/Region 5 in mid‑January, with a target June 2 start date for converting lighting to LED across the district.
Why it matters: the daycare opening expands early‑childhood and community services while staying within the approved budget; pool and envelope repairs address deferred maintenance; the solar and LED projects aim to reduce long‑term energy costs.
Staff asked the board for guidance on potential changes such as moving Middle School concerts to the high school auditorium to reduce setup time; no binding decisions were made. Work continues on scheduling and cost details for each project and staff will report progress as items move toward completion.
