TL-M board approves music, Vo-Ag hires
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
Looking for a swing set? Maybe two? Larger than the average backyard set? The Turtle Lake-Mercer School District has a couple the school board is willing to part with for free. The outdated school equipment will be available on a first come-first served basis as the school will be removing the school equipment to make room for new equipment later this summer.
The removal and replacement of the playground equipment was just one of the items on school custodian Joi Anderson’s summer project list that he presented to the board members Monday night at their regular June meeting.
Many of the items on Anderson’s to-do wish list will be done with funds procured by a ND Land trust grant of about $45,000, which will be used to pay for electrical work on the football field lights, new playground equipment, some concrete work and garage steel roofing.
Replacing the playground equipment will be a boon not only to the children this fall, but to the school this summer as much of the dirt that will be dug out in the playground area will be put to use shoring up the school’ drainage system around the school. Additions to the school’s gutter system will also help with the school’s issues with water coming into the basement.
One of the items on his wish list, a new heating and air conditioning system, was not approved by the board, but a major step toward that the fruition of that project was taken when the board approved the transfer of $70,000 from the Unrestricted Oil and Gas Production, Coal Severance and Coal Conversion Fund to the Building Fund, with the intent of those monies eventually being used for a new HVAC system for the school.
The board approved the funds transfer following business manager Susan Davis’ financial report that indicated the school is landing under budget for this school year even after allowing for the 35 percent carryover.