Manitowoc committee hears plan for phased FIAD weight-room equipment at Lincoln High

The Curriculum & Instruction Committee of the Manitowoc School District received a proposal for phased purchase of new strength-and-conditioning equipment for Lincoln High School.

A staff member introduced Michael Longmeer, identified in the meeting as the high-school FIAD department chair, and described a vendor-backed plan to install state-of-the-art weight-room equipment that could become a regional showcase and training site. The presenter said the total package exceeds $100,000 but will be acquired in phases and supplemented with grant funds that will not all be immediately available.

"He has done an outstanding job working with a vendor to provide some state-of-the-art weight room equipment for Lincoln High School," the presenter said, praising Longmeer’s outreach to a network of FIAD and strength-and-conditioning instructors statewide. The presenter added the phased approach would allow the district to refurnish middle-school spaces using equipment freed from the high school at little or no net cost to taxpayers.

Committee members emphasized the benefit of moving from building-specific line items to a district-level, rotational budgeting model so elective departments can budget for steady annual replacement rather than infrequent large requests. One member said the approach would reduce the risk of unexpectedly large funding requests when equipment fails.

The committee heard that some related elementary-level equipment and student-tracking platforms will be brought forward at the April meeting with additional cost details and grant timelines. No formal action was taken on the FIAD equipment during this meeting.

The committee will revisit the FIAD proposal during the April curriculum meeting when staff present full cost estimates and grant information.