This past year has been a productive one for Springfield Local Schools’ custodial and maintenance department.
At the September 8 board of education meeting, Dustin Hamilton, director of facilities and maintenance, provided an overview of activities in 2021.
Mr. Hamilton said employees completed the reconfiguration of the office at the middle school.
“The middle school office received a makeover with new more functional counter and desk surface, a new secure entrance, new flooring and a fresh coat of paint,” he explained.
At the high school, they created a new food lab for a district program and converted an old lab into a commercial kitchen.
“Kids will be able to get a job at any restaurant when they complete the program,” he said, adding, “It’s really looking sharp.”
Staff also repainted a number of walls in facilities over the summer. “We did a good bit of painting. It really brightens the place up.”
Regarding COVID-19 protocols, Mr. Hamilton said they continue to follow local health department guidance regarding disinfection of surfaces, but “nightly spraying or fogging only occurs if there is a positive or assumed case.”
“The HVAC system is set up to change the air in the room more often than before to prevent any stale or dirty air,” he added.
Staff also added more water bottle filling station drinking fountains over the summer.
“I can’t say enough about how well our custodial staff did maintaining the buildings and disinfecting during this entire pandemic.”
Mr. Hamilton said they continue to use products that are the most effective in killing the virus, but acknowledged that the availability of products is a challenge.
“We rotate chemicals to fight resistance and because we can only get certain items at certain times,” he noted.
IWave units, designed to purify the air, have been installed in the buildings as an additional protection.
Other supply issues that have plagued the department during the pandemic include the inability to employ companies to make certain repairs.
“Many companies still do not have enough staff,” and he noted, “Some items we are having trouble obtaining are plastics, metal from Canada, field striping paint, cleaning chemicals and lumber-related materials.”
He attributed the problem to a lack of delivery drivers. “Some products or parts are sitting in warehouses because there is nobody to deliver them.”
Mr. Hamilton faces similar concerns staffing his department.
“We have an aging workforce. Many of the maintenance staff are eligible or very close to being eligible for retirement, and one is retiring December 31,” he explained.
In addition, a number are out either for quarantine or scheduled surgeries and “we have a low number of applicants for subs.”
He pointed out that summer staff levels were “at the lowest I have seen since I have been here.”
Despite fewer employees, the department was able to assist with the Wicked Wheels car show at the high school, helping with planning, setup and teardown.
“A lot of setup and cleanup goes into this event.”
He concluded his report with an update on parking lot improvements and roofing conditions.
“Due to COVID-19 and more parents dropping their kids off at school, we have changed the layouts and traffic patterns at some of the schools.”
He had some lots re-sealed and painted differently while others had cones to help with the flow of traffic off of main roads.
“Our lots are on a rotation, getting crack-filled and resealed to prevent further cracking and extend their life,” he added.
Rooftops of each building were scanned with an infrared roofing system to detect moisture issues.
“Doing this allows us to determine which roofs are in the worst shape and which are still holding up. I use this to plan our five-year roof replacement budget,” Mr. Hamilton said.
Personnel
The board took action on a number of personnel matters. They:
•Approved casual labor contracts for Devin Aller, Lori Coates, Gregory Daniels, Laura Dauer, Brandon Edwards, Sean Enck, Mike Fink, Rachelle Frank, Mr. Hamilton, Tyler Haughawout, Jenni King, Maureen Kohlman, Brad Konrad, Mitchell LeStrange, Gaven Morgan, Dirk Ruckman, James Schwieterman, Emily Starcher, Amy Vandromme, Katie Vogt, Danielle Welch, Annie Whitmire, Jake Yoder, Chris Young and Timothy Lewallen.
•Granted a leave of absence for Pamela Krukemyer, from October to February.
•Awarded pupil activity contracts to Robert Edwards, SMS eighth grade football assistant co-coach; Clifton Hodges, SHS girls varsity basketball head coach; Erik Knapp, SHS wrestling head coach, and Derek Parker and Robert Tober, SHS freshman football assistant co-coaches.
•Accepted the retirement resignation of Kelly Gargas, SMS Spanish teacher, effective August 3, 2022.
The board also accepted resignations from substitute teachers Alyssa Kalb and Matthew Kern.
•Awarded substitute contracts to Sadie Brown, nurse aide; Rachelle Coulter-Sensel, lunchroom and recess monitor, and Colleen Robbins, bus driver, bus driverfield trips and bus aide.
•Approved supplemental contracts for Katie Bylow and Kathryn Crago, SHS coadvisors speech/debate team, and Amy Corser, assistant drama director, fall and spring.
•Awarded supplemental/translator contracts to Marian Al-Abed, Olga Block and Lily Li.
Streaming Sports
Andrew Screptock, athletic director, updated the school board about potential streaming options for high school athletics.
Mr. Screptock said the district began using streaming last year to offset lower gate receipts caused by limited attendance due to COVID-19.
He noted the stadium has several stationary cameras they use for streaming at no cost on YouTube. In addition, Springfield contracted with BCSN to air games that subscribers can watch for a fee, with a portion of the proceeds going to Springfield.
This season he started using the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
NFHS Network provides a streaming service in partnership with its member state associations, offering schools two free automated cameras for covering indoor and outdoor sports.
“NFHS is growing very rapidly,” he said, adding the district can use the service for football, basketball, wrestling, soccer and volleyball.
The cost to subscribe for viewers is $10.99 per month or $69.99 annually, he said, noting Springfield receives a “kickback” for subscriptions sold.
In addition, NFHS provides the lower left and right corners of the screen for ads at no cost, creating another revenue source for Springfield.
Mr. Screptock said filling the space is the responsibility of the district, which also sets the prices.
Other Business
In other business, the board:
•Approved changes to the 2021-22 preschool student handbook to reflect new teacher information, tuition structure and screening of students.
•Accepted a donation from the Springfield Area Prevention Coalition of wellness equipment for elementary playgrounds and T-shirts for elementary students.
•Approved two requests to attend professional meetings.
•Entered into executive session to discuss the purchase or sale of property, but took no action afterward.
The next board of education meeting will be at 4 p.m., Wednesday, September 22, at the administration building, 6900 Hall Street, Holland, and is open to the public. COVID-19 protocols will be followed.
