LCS plans upgrades for district buildings

LAPEER — Nearly every building in the Lapeer Community Schools district will see some kind of new construction, renovation, upgrade or improvement to utility infrastructure this summer.

The new construction and spending blitz is the result of allocation by the LCS Board of nearly $6 million in leftover bond money from the $57 million bond proposal passed by voters in May 2007. The $6 million was contingency money that was budgeted and set aside to fund cost overruns and unexpected construction costs.

The administration had determined that the money would not be needed for such issues, and could instead be spent elsewhere. The LCS board was introduced to a list of spending priorities at a Jan. 7 meeting.

The bond election was primarily passed to develop two middle schools for the district. Rolland- Warner Middle School is at the site of the former Woodside School that housed the district’s alternative high school — Lapeer Community High School. To accommodate the expanded new use at Rolland-Warner, the bond also paid for the conversion of the former Cramton Elementary facility on Lake Nepessing Road for use as the new Community High School, including construction

of a new gymnasium. Renovation of the second

middle school — Zemmer Middle School — is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

The LCS board gave the nod Thursday evening, with no additional comment other than that it agreed with the outlined priorities, to district administrators to proceed with their earlier announced plans for spending.

Electrical infrastructure upgrades to accommodate new computers and communication systems at the elementary school buildings are pegged at $1.1 million, while another $1 million is estimated for technology infrastructure in elementary and high schools. Another $300,000 will go toward districtwide technology improvements.

The Seaton Elementary School parking lot will be rebuilt at a cost of $250,000 to include a bus loop to separate the lot used by parents from the area where children board buses.

Also to be completed this summer will be the relocation of school building offices at Lynch, Turrill and Maple Grove elementary schools at a cost of $532,000. The move is largely a security issue because the current offices are in the interior of the buildings and do not allow staff to be able to view who is approaching the school.

Other priorities to be handled with the remaining money from the bond include replacement of student furniture ($400,000), 40 new exterior doors ($200,000), public address systems at Lapeer East, Schickler, Murphy and Lynch ($140,000), 800 new lockers in elementary schools ($64,000), 60 bathroom partitions ($80,000), and new portable staging/ new choir risers ($30,000).

In addition, $341,000 will be spent to create five new classrooms at Seaton Elementary, $55,000 toward library automation, and another $50,000 for the purchase of new books for the middle school media centers.

New roof and air handling units will be installed at Lynch Elementary ($300,000) and electrical upgrades will be completed at the high schools ($200,000).

Construction, where necessary, will begin at the end of the current school year, while some items such as exterior doors and bathroom partitions have been ordered and will be installed as they arrive and as custodial staff time allows.