BRAINERD — Bids for the final Brainerd Public Schools building project came in under budget.
Washington Educational Services Building is the last facility to undergo renovation as a result of the school district’s successful 2018 referendum. School Board members approved bids Monday, July 11, totaling $8,450,080, which is under the $10.1 million construction budget.
The bids are as follows:
The Washington Educational Services Building on Oak Street houses voluntary pre-kindergarten programs, preschool programs, district offices and the Paul Bunyan Educational Cooperative. It also serves as the district’s welcome center, which will remain in place with a secure entrance at the front of the building. Offices for transportation and enrollment staff will be relocated to the east side of the welcome center, while community education offices will be on the west side. There will be a multipurpose flex space in the middle of the welcome center to be used for events like community meetings, conferences or informational sessions.
More bathrooms will be added to early childhood classrooms, existing bathrooms will be updated to meet guidelines from the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a wheelchair lift will be added to the south side of the building, which currently only has stairs to the entrances.
Bus and parent drop-off and pickup will move off busy Oak Street to the southwest corner of the building at South Eighth and Pine streets, while the southeast entrance will be a controlled staff entrance.
Visitors will still park at the front of the building and come in through the welcome center.
In other business Monday, the School Board:
Authorized new hires: Katrina Atkinson, third grade teacher at Garfield Elementary; Jill Bjorge, principal at Riverside Elementary; Ally Bright, third grade teacher at Garfield; Anne Campion, first grade teacher at Lowell Elementary; Sarah Dano, seventh and eighth grade language arts teacher at Forestview Middle School; Tammy Exum, emotional behavior disorders teacher at Brainerd High School; Tiffany Gilb, special education teacher at Baxter Elementary; Chloe Hawks, kindergarten teacher at Garfield; Kathryn Johnson, principal at Lowell; Heather Nuemann, early childhood special education teacher at Washington Educational Services Building; TyAnne Rezac, districtwide English as a second language teacher; Taylor Salisbury, kindergarten teacher at Lowell; Deborah Schlueter, sixth grade science teacher at Forestview; Melissa Shepherd, fourth grade teacher at Baxter; Kelli Forsythe, administrative assistant at Nisswa Elementary; Andrew Garding, districtwide part-time substitute custodian; Bryann Gilb, special education educational assistant at Baxter; Terre Guenin, districtwide payroll/finance specialist; Ethan Hanson, districtwide custodian; Luksamee Jones, special education educational assistant at Baxter; Susan Rioux, registrar/student records at Forestview; Adam Smith, districtwide custodian; Mary Lou Smith, administrative assistant at Riverside; Shani Wolf, clerical student services worker at BHS; Joel Clough, event worker; Sawyer Hennessey and Brody Lund, parks and recreation umpires and assistant coaches; Ellen Thomes, ninth grade girls basketball B Team coach; and Nathaniel Popham, Lincoln Singh, Sophia Singh and Jacob Terhaar, Fun ‘N’ Friends program assistants.
Authorized hirings of continuing education instructors: Anakkala Avery, Jennifer Boeckmann, Ellen Fussy, Josie Harguth, Emma Knutson, Jason Larson, Jessica Lofrano-Larson, Kayley Miles, Rachel Moore, Briana Rademacher, Sophia Robin, Lisa Salo, Nolan Thiesse and Meghan Wirtz.
Accepted donations: $27 from Coca Cola for student activities at BHS; $300 from Deerwood Bank for the music department at BHS; $316 from Jack Pine Brewery for the music department at BHS; and $5,000 from Brainerd American Legion Post No. 255 for early childhood curriculum supplies.
Renewed the district’s membership with the Minnesota School Board Association for the 2022-23 school year at a cost of $13,002.
Renewed the district’s membership with the Minnesota Rural Education Association for the 2022-23 school year at a cost of $2,500.
Approved contracts with Northern Pines Mental Health to provide mental health services to students and families in the district for the 2022-23 school year.
Approved a lease agreement with Brainerd Amateur Hockey Foundation for the use of Essentia Health Sports Center for the 2022-23 school year at a cost of $117,300.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 1 p.m. Friday, July 15, to correct an error in the original budget estimate.
THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .