We have moved into the new building. 

We have moved into the High School building although the Multi-Purpose Room and Music Room are not quite complete. 

 

The lockers of the Main Gym building are currently be renovated.  There will be new plumbing, heating and cooling for the entire building, and ultimately new lighting in the whole area.  The installation of the new ground source heat pump is being partially paid for using ARRA stimulus funds.  Our district was fortunate to receive $500,000 in construction funds to help defray the costs associated with this new heating and cooling system.  The locker rooms will be completed about the first of February.  The work in the gymnasium area will begin about March 15, 2010 and the renovation of the cafeteria dining area and the foyer will start about June 1, 2010.  We will delay the actual work in the dining area and kitchen until after Old Fort Days. 

 

Phase III:  Middle School and Elementary School 

In June we provided an update to the Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC) about our use of Phase I and Phase II funds and requested the additional funding for Phase III.  The final construction phase will be to address the needs of the middle school building, elementary building, parking lot and bus drop off areas, and the demolition of the Old Gym. Ideally, we will complete all of this phase of work by December 2010.  At this time the middle school is being renovated with a target completion date of April 15, 2010.  At that time, we will move the elementary teachers out of the building and into other spaces on campus so the work can begin in the elementary building. 

 

The PSCOC met on July 30, 2009 and announced they would provide 5.6 million in construction funds, and an advance of $800,000 that the district will need to repay.  It is likely that the district will need to take a bond request to the voters this spring in order to repay this advance.   The Board of Education voted to accept the award at the August meeting of the Board and they voted to proceed with the bond election in October 2009.  The votes of our community passed the $880,000 bond question by 75% in February.  We deeply appreciate your support and confidence as we proceed with the campus renovations.   

Fort Sumner remains the only school district in New Mexico to ever be awarded a waiver for the necessary match for school construction.  Our need was great and our resources were limited to the amount of bond funds provided in the Bond Election of 2007.  The Council recognized the community commitment to provide all resources possible, and then granted us a waiver in 2007 and now in 2009. 

Mrs. Miller

2/15/2010