MONTAGUE — The Montague school board unanimously approved the purchases of a new cargo van and refrigerated trailer for a combined sum of around $102,000 at its regular Monday meeting. The van was purchased from Great Lakes Ford for $49,000-plus, while the trailer was purchased from Polar King International for just shy of $53,000, both coming out of the food service fund.
The two new purchases were made, said superintendent Jeff Johnson, because the district's existing food truck was facing limitations in both functionality and efficiency, and food service director Dan Gorman recommended the purchase of a new one.
The new van and trailer, Johnson said, will help the district with its annual summer food distributions, which take place at the high school and in Rothbury on a weekly basis when school is not in session. He added that the trailer in particular would aid the district in transporting locally grown food to the schools, strengthening existing partnerships with nearby farms. The current truck will be repurposed, likely for the maintenance department, and could be used for snow removal in the winters.
Johnson also discussed some recent and pending uses of the district's sinking fund, which currently has a balance of $606,830. The district has completed upgrades to its HVAC systems and is working on air-conditioning systems. Next up is an investment that could near $400,000 into the district's fire suppression systems at its three older buildings - the elementary, middle and high school. Work on that might be completed by the end of June. At that point the sinking fund would have a balance of approximately $185,000, which would need to be replenished. Future uses of the sinking fund could include work on district roofs, parking lots and an elevator at Oehrli Elementary School.
On the topic of finances, Johnson noted that due to pending federal and state legislation, it's possible the district's budget for next school year will be delayed. He said financial officer Stacy Brown would need to have numbers in front of her by May to allow her time to assemble a budget, and added that he believes a deficit is likely, with budget amendments being made as necessary.
The board unanimously approved the Michigan Forestry Company's scope of work and assessment, with discussion revolving around the district hoping to take advantage of what Johnson called "good pricing" on red pine lumber. Montague Township was already logging some declining red pines on Skeels Road, which led to the assessment. Brett Kuipers, president of the forestry company, was in attendance and said many red pine trees in the area are declining, which affects the trees' needles and leads to a root rot, which can bring disease. The township, and potentially the school, is looking to harvest the trees' lumber before the decline gets worse, which Kuipers said happens very quickly with that type of tree. While not directly related, Kuipers also stated the forestry company has a learning and stewardship program available to students to help interested students learn about the field.
The board also unanimously approved an updated property easement with Great Lakes Energy. Johnson said the company is redoing some power lines, but did want to make sure he got a look at the easement before signing, as the paperwork mentioned the easement being with Wolverine Power Cooperative, a company from which Great Lakes purchases energy.
Other moves by the board included unanimous approval of the Schools of Choice resolution - Johnson said the district currently has 215 non-resident students, which is more than the number of residents who utilize the program to go elsewhere - unanimous approval of Amanda Dahl again being appointed to be the board representative at the county intermediate school district's budget review, and unanimous approval of an unnamed student's reinstatement. The student had previously been removed from the school system through a disciplinary process, but will now be given a virtual education option through Muskegon County.
