Submitted Graphic Central Middle School and Minot High School topped the chart from the facility assessment report from JLG Architects for the Minot Public School District presented to the school board at their meeting Thursday evening.

The districtwide price tag to correct maintenance issues at Minot’s aging school buildings is more than $146.39 million, according to a facility assessment presented to the Minot Public School Board Thursday.

The board heard updates on the district facility assessment and on the outcome of a recent utilization of virtual learning days during a winter storm in November.

Katelyn Crider and Dan Miller with JLG Architects presented the long awaited facility assessment for the district, which studied 22 facilities in the district. The assessment reviewed each site’s exterior envelope or roofing; the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; American Disabilities Act concerns; fire and safety issues; other safety and security concerns; and any other known maintenance issues.

Miller said each aspect or system was scored on a priority points system, which he stressed wasn’t based on expected costs but rather on how critical updating or replacing the current system is based on its function and life expectancy. Each score included a recommended period for the issue to be addressed, between immediately and seven years down the road.

“If this system fails, what is the risk it will actually disrupt learning in the school?” Miller said. “Consider it more of a risk factor.”

The assessment noted three immediate needs to be addressed – replace carpet in the work room at North Plains; concrete repair and railing installation at the main entrance at Roosevelt; and stabilize the brick chimney stack at Sunnyside.

Priority items needed within two years were found primarily at Central, including electrical upgrades, removal of the steam system and a full review of accessibility and life safety compliance. The electrical updates at Central were estimated to cost $10 million.

Districtwide system issues identified in the assessment included a replacement for the battery backup unit for the district’s data center, door hardware updates, handicap accessible restrooms, the replacement of an estimated 100 interior cameras for the security system, updated security card readers and intercom communication systems. Miller said the bulk of the issues identified were mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Miller commended the district’s Facilities Director Jared Edwards and his team’s efforts in maintaining and keeping the aging systems running.

“It’s pretty incredible and actually pretty creative. They’re working with systems that you can’t get parts for anymore. You can’t maintain them. They’re creating things as they go to keep it running,” Miller said. “But it does reflect that they can only keep things going so long.”

Board member Sabrina Herrmann said the assessment identified issues and concerns the board was likely already aware of but hadn’t been able to address.

“I think it’s stuff that in black and white we kind of know. Maybe not to this extent. We knew,” Herrmann said. “As much as they want to do things, when the budget is what it is and you only budget so much for maintenance and you don’t have a building fund, then nothing really gets chipped off that list. Or not what we would have liked to get chipped off that list. That list will only grow as your buildings age, sadly. That’s just the way it is.”

School board President Mitch Kraft asked Edwards if anything on the list surprised him, and Edwards singled out the electric card readers that allow door entry, which he said are no longer available. Edwards said if one school updates its readers, the replaced readers can be used to prolong the use of the older readers at other schools.

“If I have six readers in my possession, I’m not really going to put that at school in my mind just for convenience. I’m going to save it because at some point at Minot High School door number one is going to go out next week and I’m going to have to replace it. Otherwise, that’s going to be a burden to us,” Edwards said. “Things like that are what we’re up against. We need a budget for it.”

Edwards said the district would likely have to cherry pick and prioritize which items will be addressed, but the day will come when some critical systems such as heating or cooling will reach the end of their lives and have to be replaced.

Superintendent Scott Faul said that the report will be presented during the upcoming legislative session but if legislators don’t make a plan, “We will be in a really bad spot.”

“We’ll be in Bismarck, and we aren’t the only school looking for some help when it comes to the deferred maintenance piece of it. But we need to look at some pieces that we’re going to tackle. I know we have some budget concerns to get squared away before we can start looking at some of this,” Faul said.

“Three years out, a total of $120 million is our total budget. If 83% of our budget is human resources, and we’re at a deficit now, how do you prioritize? What would we do? I’m assuming we’d seen something like that over the last few years but that’s 100% of our budget in three years,” Scott Louser said.

Louser said there were some possible avenues for relief in the works at the Legislature, but he agreed with Faul that MPS wouldn’t be the only district looking for maintenance funds. Herrmann inquired if grants could alleviate the sticker shock from the assessment, but Faul cautioned the district doesn’t have the staff to work them up in a timely manner.

Faul recommended the board review the assessment and plan a retreat to arrive at a course of action.

“Like they said, there’s a risk factor in all of this, and we’re going to have to take some risk because we’re not going to be able to do everything in three, seven or 10 years,” Faul said.

Virtual learning days

Faul discussed Minot Public Schools’ first foray into virtual learning, which he said would continue to be embraced if inclement weather manifests this winter. Faul used the district’s response to the weather event on Nov. 20-21 as an example, saying classes could have been canceled and made up at a later date but virtual learning was used instead.

Faul said virtual learning days have become more common throughout the state recently, and the worsening conditions and travel advisories from the North Dakota Department of Transportation changed the calculus from a late start to a virtual learning day for the entire district.

“The things that weigh on my mind when we make those decisions, number one and the most important is the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. The next one is the burden of families that have to find vehicular (transportation) that day and childcare as many people have to go to work. There’s a number of families that depend on our food services. With not having school, there’s no food services, and that becomes a piece to consider,” Faul said.

Faul said virtual days are a nice option as learning can continue through the online Google Classroom, office hours and learning packets. Faul indicated surveys are being circulated among families, students and teachers to see if any improvements can be made.