Corning Comm School District board authorizes $2.225M bond, approves construction change orders and new bleachers

The Corning Comm School District board convened on April 14, 2025, and voted to authorize the issuance of up to $2,225,000 in general obligation school bonds to support district projects, while also approving a series of construction change orders, equipment purchases and personnel actions.

The board's largest single formal action was approval of a resolution authorizing General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2025, not to exceed $2,225,000. The roll-call approval was recorded with trustees Howard Anderson, Adam Boswell, Trent Roberts and President Staci Venteicher voting yes; no board member voted no on the resolution.

Construction updates from Estes Construction prompted the board to approve numerous contractor change orders and related requests, including work on sidewalks and trails, retaining walls, press-box concrete pads, plumbing and restroom accessories, additional lighting and site work, gym painting, and parking-lot resurfacing. Dollar amounts were provided in the motions: examples include a $30,100 change order for a concrete walking trail and sidewalks, a $14,550 retaining wall order, a $64,699 asphalt parking-lot resurfacing approval, and $42,344 for exterior lighting (8 poles). Several PCOs and PRs across trades were approved; the meeting record documents each motion and the associated amounts.

The board considered the elementary gym bleacher project after a public comment from Ashley Pegg, identified as Corning Youth Club president, who said the club would provide $10,000 toward bleachers. A motion by Adam Boswell to defer the bleacher installation to the Corning Youth Club failed for lack of a second. The board then approved a quote from Townsend Bleachers for $26,583 and accepted the Youth Club's $10,000 contribution. The recorded roll call for that motion was: yes — Howard Anderson, Trent Roberts and Staci Venteicher; no — Adam Boswell.

On student and personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of Kristin Fast as assistant high school girls' basketball coach and approved a 2025-2026 contract for Haley Engler as an elementary special education teacher. Dan Ahrens reported that eleven students qualified for FBLA Nationals; the board approved $200 per student to attend FBLA and FCCLA national conferences.

Other business approved during the meeting included a $109,000 quote from School Bus Sales for a 14-passenger bus, acceptance of the 2023-2024 audit, a Memorandum of Understanding with Green Hills AEA for media services and teacher librarian services, SWCC Educational Services contracts, and classified staff contracts for 2025-2026. The meeting adjourned at 10:11 p.m.

Votes at a glance: carried actions recorded in the meeting minutes include (motion text abbreviated): - Consent agenda: approved (moved Hodapp, second Roberts) - Accept resignation of Kristin Fast: carried unanimously (SEG 002) - Approve Haley Engler contract (elementary special education): carried unanimously (SEG 002) - $200 per student for FBLA/FCCLA nationals: carried unanimously (SEG 002) - Lincoln's Lawn Care change orders (walk/trail $30,100; retaining wall $14,550; press-box pads $8,000): carried unanimously (SEG 002/003) - Approve PCOs/PRs across multiple trades (amounts recorded in minutes): carried unanimously (SEG 002/003) - RFI91 Paging System $5,414; PCO35 gym painting $9,997; asphalt resurfacing $64,699; north-side concrete $22,560; civil demo NTE $24,154: carried unanimously (SEG 003) - Townsend Bleachers quote $26,583, accept $10,000 Youth Club support: by roll call Yes: Anderson, Roberts, Venteicher; No: Boswell (SEG 003) - Approve graduates as presented pending requirements: carried unanimously (SEG 003) - School Bus Sales quote $109,000 (14-passenger bus): carried unanimously (SEG 003) - Approve 2023-2024 audit: carried unanimously (SEG 003) - Green Hills AEA MOU for media and librarian services: carried unanimously (SEG 003) - Resolution authorizing not-to-exceed $2,225,000 General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2025: roll call Yes: Anderson, Boswell, Roberts, Venteicher; No: none (SEG 003) - SWCC Educational Services contracts and classified staff contracts for 2025-2026: carried unanimously (SEG 003)

What happens next: approvals of change orders, the bond authorization and contract awards move the district closer to completing the construction project and associated purchases; specific implementation steps and spending appear in the approved change orders and contracts. The minutes list motions and dollar amounts for accounting and audit purposes. The minutes do not record further public hearings or appeals tied to these approvals.

Sources: Meeting minutes and motions recorded at the Corning Comm School District board meeting on April 14, 2025.