Princeton R-5 Board Purchases Vehicle, Discusses Funding, Hires Two Employees

The Princeton R-5 Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, June 14, discussing the new batting cages, approving the purchase of a vehicle and hiring two employees during the meeting.
Under old business, the board was updated on summer maintenance items that are scheduled for completion in the next few weeks. Demolition, removal and installation of the new sidewalk on the north side of the high school will be completed in July. Security cameras will be installed district-wide in July.
The batting cage will be installed in the Stacy Center before the start of school and replacement of the kitchen dishwasher will take place in August. The summer maintenance crew is on schedule with carpet cleaning and waxing of floors.
Board members approved a bid for a passenger vehicle, pending availability. The two bids submitted were from Suburban Chevrolet in Tulsa, OK for $45,695.00 and Pettijohn Auto Center of Bethany for $44,414.00. While Pettijohn was the low bid, the concern was availability of the vehicle and timeline of the grant. Pettijohn does not have the unit in inventory and currently is not able to provide an estimate on ordering the vehicle. The board approved the bid from Suburban Chevrolet pending availability and grant administration approval.
The Princeton Ball Association, the City of Princeton and the school district are working together to apply for a Department of Natural Resources matching grant that would fund a $250,000 match. The grant funding has been delayed at the federal level due to the pandemic. Recent correspondence with the state parks department has given an estimated date of Aug. 1 for final approval and a potential construction start date.
Funding for the project – which will include three fields, a parking lot and a concessions/storage building – is being made possible by a $150,000 matching gift pledge from Judy Derry Mahoney. For every $1 donated, Mahoney has pledged to match that donation up to $150,000. The project has received over $70,000 in donations from multiple individual donors in the past year. The fundraising committee is very appreciative of the community’s support as the campaign to raise funding is progressing.
The COVID‐19 Relief provisions is a slightly modified version of the Education Stabilization Fund that was first included in the CARES Act. ESSER II funds fall under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116‐260, enacted on Dec. 27, 2020. It is estimated that Princeton R-5 will receive an allocation of approximately $340,000. The preliminary budget allocation for ESSER II funding was reviewed. Initial allocations are as follows: $60,000 for textbooks, $60,000 for computer hardware and devices, $55,000 for Chromebooks at the elementary, $6,000 for the junior high robotics equipment and $25,000 for campus -wide security camera upgrades.
An update was given on ESSER III funds. It was noted that, consistent with previous relief funding streams, the State Department of Education cannot disburse any ESSER funds until appropriation authority is provided in the state budget. There is currently no established timeline for these appropriations. ESSER funds can be used for allowable costs dating back to March 13, 2020, but capital improvement expenditures require prior budget approval by DESE. The R-5 district has been allocated $770,944.00. These funds have not been budgeted at the district level and district administrators will provide recommendations for use of the funds in the near future.
Under new business, the board heard a brief update on the budget for the 2021-22 school year, with more details and a budget to be presented at the special board meeting, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on June 29 in the high school library.
The board also approved the Safe Return Plan for 2021-22 With Continuity of Service as required by ESSER III. The plan will be available on the district website before June 23.
Following a closed session, the board voted to hire Angie Stockman as an elementary paraprofessional and junior high assistant softball coach. Mike Tipton was hired as the assistant football coach.