Lincoln Elementary to be demolished

By ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times

Another former USD 480 school will soon be demolished.
The district’s board of education voted 6-0, with member Matt Durler absent, Monday to approve a bid to tear down Lincoln Elementary.
The accepted bid came from the Garden City-based firm, A&M Russell Excavating, at just less than $129,000.
The next lowest bid among five received was from T&B Towing, based out of Turpin, Okla., at $155,000, followed by a bid from Abbott Construction of Liberal for $164,500.
Two other bids were received of $197,000 and $216,000. District officials said Monday officials with A&M are ready to mobilize equipment and a deadline has been set to have the building down by Aug. 1.
The officials likewise said an asbestos abatement has been completed on Lincoln, and the building has been sealed. All technology still being used by USD 480 has been taken out of the building, as well as any e-surplus equipment.
Funds for the demolition will come out of money for the recently completed bond project.
After two executive sessions, USD 480 Business and Finance Director Jerry Clay said the BOE added two items to the agenda.
The first was a pay raise for classified staff in the district. Clay said the raise was 4 percent and a building base pay index of $53,750. The board voted 6-0, with vice president Travis Combs absent to approve that item.
The second item gave district superintendent Renae Hickert the authority to negotiate with the City of Liberal on the disposition of the former South Middle School building. The vote was again 6-0, with Combs absent.
The BOE also voted 6-0 earlier in the meeting, with Durler absent, to approve republishing the district’s budget for the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System and special education for fiscal year 2017-2018.
Information in the agenda packet for Monday’s meeting said USD 480 has received additional KPERS funds than budgeted in August 2017.
“USD 480 is also requesting the special education budget to be republished due to the additional expenses (paras, transportation and contractual services benefiting students) and that have occurred over the last year,” the information said.
Numbers in the agenda packet indicate the KPERS budget increased by less than $40,000, while special ed money increased by less than $500,000. The KPERS budget for FY 2017-2018 is just less than $4 million, while special ed’s budget stands at just more than $5.3 million.