Superintendent reports ventilation upgrades, damaged elementary pillar and failing windmill

Superintendent Hannah Eastkins updated the Whitehall School District board on summer facility work, saying the high-school ventilation repair and upgrade is nearly finished and exterior painting is expected to be done by the end of July. She said tile removal in the varsity gym lobby and elementary lobby uncovered damage that requires leveling before new planks can be installed.

Eastkins described a set of unexpected maintenance issues that cropped up over the summer, including a windmill on campus that "is bent" and appears to no longer generate power; staff are exploring how to dismantle and disconnect it. She also said trees overhanging the elementary school suffered wind damage and will need trimming, which will require turning off sprinklers temporarily so a bucket truck can access the lawn.

Eastkins told the board that a vehicle strike or similar incident left one of the elementary school's front entry pillars structurally unsound and in need of immediate repair. "It's gonna cost about $8,000 for that repair, but we have to do it," she said, and added that staff will review camera footage to try to determine when the damage occurred (she estimated roughly three to four weeks prior).

The report focused on repairs and continuity of operations; Eastkins said the district is addressing the problems now to avoid safety or structural failures and to keep planned school-year openings on schedule. The board took no action beyond hearing the superintendent's update.