Sultan School District details $906,000 in grants, large summer facilities and technology work

Operations staff told the Sultan School District board on June 22 that the district has secured $906,000 in grant funding and will use the money to accelerate summer facility projects and technology upgrades.

"At the time that I typed this up, I didn't have the number in my brain, but it's $906,000 in grants that we've received," said the operations presenter, who gave the board a rundown of planned work. He described projects that include new office and staff-room flooring, a gravel parking addition with a poured driveway at the district office, replacement of kitchen fire shutters at Gold Bar Elementary, new roofs for three portable classrooms, and replacement of dishwashers and three-basin sinks to meet health-code requirements.

The operations presenter said the district will remove a mobile home on property purchased from the Broughtons and make a small remodel at the district office, including replacement of failing heating equipment at the south end of the building. "The two new boilers will have the capacity for any future expansion of that school should a bond pass," he told the board, and described work to replace pumps, downstream valves and computerized controls to restore an inoperative sequencer that manages boiler operations.

Technology staff gave a separate report on cybersecurity and systems work. The technology director said the district team of five has focused on cybersecurity training and a formal risk assessment with Homeland Security tools, and that the district plans to complete a major student-information-system migration from PowerSchool to a new platform called Cumulus within a month. "In 1 month we'll be on the new system," the technology director said.

The technology presenter also described a low-cost approach to compliance with Alyssa's Law-style expectations by integrating panic buttons into the existing phone system — flashing lights and unique ringtones will alert offices and connect staff to an immediate response.

Staff also confirmed the district will scrap an older bus as part of conditions tied to a previously awarded Department of Commerce grant for an electric bus; the electric vehicle has been in the shop since before spring break.

District staff cautioned that many of the summer projects still lack firm contractor schedules because construction vendors have not yet provided precise delivery or installation dates. The board was told that completed levy projects are listed on the district website and that remaining levy-funded items will be scheduled over the coming year.

What happens next: work is underway this summer and staff will return schedules to the board when contractors provide installation timelines. The district also expects to go live on its new student information system by the start of school.