HIGHLAND SCHOOLS

Highland applying for WCRF grant to help with $1.2 million wastewater project

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 8/13/22

RIVERSIDE

The Highland Community School District is hoping that a Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant will help cover part of $1.2 million bill for a wastewater treatment system …

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HIGHLAND SCHOOLS

Highland applying for WCRF grant to help with $1.2 million wastewater project

Posted

RIVERSIDE

The Highland Community School District is hoping that a Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant will help cover part of $1.2 million bill for a wastewater treatment system upgrade.

To that end, the school board approved a resolution at its regularly scheduled meeting August 8, clearing the way for the district filing a grant application with WCRF this month.

The work is being done by Spectra Build of Wapello, a process that was started in March by the board with the acceptance of Spectra Build’s bid.

The district is applying for a $200,000 grant with WCRF, which has helped with multiple Highland Schools projects in the past. The application deadline is August 25.

The work on the wastewater treatment system at the high school and middle school in Riverside comes at the same time that a two-year $1.4 million improvement project is being worked on at Highland Elementary School. The extensive work at the elementary school will include a new front entrance to the school with dedicated bus-loading points.

“I’m super excited about that,” said Jane O’Leary, school principal.

The renovations also include a playground with a new soft surface and a full-size outdoor basketball court.

The construction is being completed in phases, schools superintendent Ken Crawford said, and is expected to be done by October.

The board approved three change orders for the playground work of nearly $30,000 to J Harding Inc. of North Liberty.

The board also approved an agreement with Iowa Family Counseling of Kalona to provide in-school mental health therapy for students and agreed to move ahead with a bidding process to sell one of the district’s buses.

The board congratulated high school principal Angela Hazelett, who received the Iowa Choral Directors Association’s Outstanding Choral Advocate award in a July 25 presentation.

Time change

In considering changes to district policies, board members discussed moving its monthly meeting time from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m., mostly in order to avoid conflict with school activities, such as sporting events, that are scheduled for evenings.

Currently, regular board meetings are held the second Monday of every month at 6 p.m. during the academic year and at 5 p.m. in the summer months. The proposed change will be discussed again at the board’s monthly meeting in September.

School start dates

The first in-service day for teachers is Friday, August 19, followed by another in-service day the following Monday.

Crawford suggested members of the board meet as many new teachers as possible.

“We’ve got a lot of young teachers, a lot of new teachers,” he said.

The first day of school is August 23.

Next meeting: The next regularly scheduled meeting of the board will be at 6 p.m. September 12. A work session is scheduled for 5 p.m. August 29.

Highland School Board, Washington County Riverboat Foundation, wastewater project