West River Eagle

Dupree school board discusses budget and year-end business



The Dupree School Board met Monday night to discuss end of the year progress, the preliminary budget and plans for the next school year, including the addition of a weight room and replacement of the Tiger building.

Board member Leo Bakeberg reported for the building committee that people from Upper Deck Architects, the same company that designed the elementary edition clarified Board President Jake Longbrake, came to the school and looked at the space for the weight room and new storage building where the Tiger building is now.

The weight room could run the length of the building and include the coaches office on the northside weight room and restrooms. Details are still in the works, but the school wants to start construction in the fall with January as the targeted completion time.

The board passed a motion to hire Upper Deck to design plans for the additions.

Board members also discussed the possibility of opening the facility to the public, but expressed concerns about liability insurance, and concerns about people with no background checks being the in same space on school grounds as students.

Several board members suggested having community hours and then student hours so that the two groups could use the space independently of one another.

While the planning for the weight room gets started, Bakeberg expressed concern, along with other board members, about when and where students will be able to access facilities this summer to keep themselves in shape for the fall sports season.

No specifics on the space and times for this summer’s open gym sessions have been determined, Superintendent Gail Swenson said, but will be forthcoming.

The board spent time sharing the preliminary budget for the upcoming year, which will be finalized in July. They also canvassed the poll books from the election, approved the property and liability insurance renewal, voted on SDHSAA office holders for 2019, and approved contracts for the 2019 school year.

The board ended the evening in executive session to discuss a student issue.

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