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District to keep facilities closed on weekends until custodial staff and licensed boiler coverage increase
Summary
School officials recommended closing facilities on Saturdays and Sundays because state boiler-inspection rules require licensed attendance for public occupancy and current staffing leaves only one available licensed boiler operator; weekend closures affect pool, gym, track and community facility use until staffing improves.
District staff told the board the recommendation to keep buildings closed on Saturdays and Sundays stems from a shortage of custodial staff and state rules from the Department of Labor and Industry requiring a licensed engineer to inspect boilers when the building is used by the public. Staff said only one reliably available licensed operator exists for weekends and that current staffing (about 2.5 custodial positions open) is insufficient to meet legal inspection requirements for public occupancy.
Staff clarified what 'closed' would mean in practice: the pool, track and gym would not be open to the public, and public-registered users would not be able to access facilities when the building is locked. Employee fobs may still permit access for staff, and some weekend events (dances, tournaments) can be accommodated by submitting facility-use forms to the superintendent, Kyle and Scott for case-by-case approval. Staff committed to consulting Bill on technical fob-differentiation options and to communicate specifics to groups that have routine weekend access.
Board members pressed staff on operating costs, noting that heating and water-treatment systems must still run even when the pool is closed; staff responded that the closure recommendation is primarily driven by staffing and boiler-inspection obligations rather than short-term operating-cost savings. Staff said they hope to hire and certify additional custodial staff (including potential boiler certification candidates) in the coming weeks or months so weekend access can be restored.
