Richmond Community Schools has scaled back plans for renovations at Dennis Middle School, freeing about $2.1 million for other district projects.
During its Feb. 26 meeting, RCS trustees chose Thor Construction’s $5,067,740.70 bid for Dennis’ heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Architect Kevin McCurdy said casework was cut during designing after hearing teachers wanted more mobile dynamic classrooms. Savings grew when multiplied by 40 classrooms.
McCurdy said Dennis’ mechanical work will be 100% done, and finishes ($99,124.30) will be provided to all educational spaces and a few others. Some hallways and areas, including the cafeteria and gym, can be spruced up separately.
Meanwhile, renovations to art and mechanical rooms, restrooms and a classroom at Richmond High School, as well as structural work at Fairview Elementary, are complete. Final details remain for roofing of the RHS library and art room. That work and reseeding Fairview’s lawn will be finished in better weather.
Test Intermediate’s roof has been paused until June. It’s about two-thirds finished. Work resumed after temperatures increased, but it was too noisy heading into testing season.
Other projects loom. McCurdy expected to bring bids for Baxter’s HVAC to the next board meeting for review and approval. It’s the minimum work needed to keep HVAC functional until the board decides the building’s long-term future during strategic planning.
Bidding will start in a few weeks for RHS athletic improvements, which include replacing water-damaged tennis courts, track resurfacing and a new synthetic turf practice field.
After changes in state and federal leadership, some members are concerned about future funding and said it’s a good time to reevaluate the project list.
During public commentary, Richmond Education Association President Jay Lee said teachers seek short-term fixes for RCS’ heating challenges. He said preschool kids shouldn’t be in 62-degree classrooms because they can’t learn in that environment.
RHS diver Brodie Morken said the heat lamp bulb over the pool deck hasn’t worked for a couple years despite replacement requests. He broke a board during the previous season, one that a coach had used decades earlier. Morken said new boards at Plainfield’s regional have different heights and flexibility, impacting scoring.
In other business
Members discussed whether responsibilities could be taken off elementary principals’ workloads. Potential solutions included adding assistant principals, reducing class sizes or diverting more hiring efforts to human resources. No decisions were made.
The board approved several policies, including transportation, employment of personnel for extracurricular activities, threatening and/or intimidating behavior toward staff members, student concussion and sudden cardiac arrest, travel payment and reimbursement/relocation costs.
Members discussed monitoring relevant legislation, such as bills impacting school funding sources and party affiliation for board candidates.
Board President Kym Pickering said RCS members join to help kids and the community, not to push a political agenda. Member Aaron Stevens said he hopes the position will remain nonpartisan.
Nearly all of RCS’ board members were initially appointed to fill vacancies, so if seats become partisan, they would have been appointed by a political party rather than selected by the board. Some said voters have many opportunities to learn about candidates’ views before elections rather than relying on party labels.
A version of this article appeared in the March 12 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.