A $6 million problem to solve
A $6 million problem to solve
By MARVIN BAKER
EDITOR
New Town School District Business Manager Dan Uran and Superintendent Marc Bluestone held an informational meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss how the district will spend $6.1 million in flood aid that was announced last week.
The school’s portion is nearly half of a $14.1 million jackpot Mountrail County, it’s townships and school districts are receiving for land that was inundated when Garrison Dam began operation in the early 1950s.
According to Bluestone, a staff survey indicated a number of one-time expenditures on a priority list beginning with a $1.25 million cafeteria expansion.
“This kind of payment we won’t see again, so we should spend it on one-time expenditures,” Bluestone told a small group of teachers assembled in the school’s band room. “We have a definite need for the cafeteria expansion which has been ongoing since 1999. That was first across the board.”
Renovating the elementary gymnasium and addiing two new elementary classrooms was second, followed by refurbishing classrooms throughout the district, a new boiler system at New Town High School, a new boiler system at the elementary school and getting Activ boards and projectors installed into each classroom.
A number of other items popped up on a wish list including a new marquee for the school, library expansion, retrofitting lighting and additional district housing.
Bluestone said unfortunately, the money can’t be used for teacher raises or bonuses because if it is paid out now, it would have to be found again and may not be.
