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School board approves use of bond money for carpeting

The Sidney school board approved bids for new carpeting at three of its schools at Monday's meeting.

The board accepted a bid from Steffens Home Furnishings for around $33,000 for carpeting at Central Elementary and the Middle School. It also approved a bid from Dick's Flooring at around $16,000 for new carpet at West Elementary.

The school decided to award the contracts to two separate companies because the bids for West Elementary were nearly equal.

"It's nice to divide it a little bit, not only in order to support community people, but also just from a time standpoint, to get it all done this summer," said Superintendent of Sidney Schools Jay Ehler.

The carpet will be paid for with qualified zone academy bonds. Schools have 25 years to pay back these bonds. The federal government usually pays the entirety of the interest on the bonds. The Sidney schools are using much of the $1.5 million it received in these bonds to complete roofing, heating and cooling work at Central Elementary and the Middle School, as well as to replace windows and doors at the Middle School.

After the carpeting is paid for, the school's QZAB funds will be nearly spent. Other ways to use any leftover QZAB funds discussed at Monday's meeting included new lockers at the Middle School as well as new doors at West Elementary.

Ehler predicted that work on the Middle School roof would be completed by the middle of this week. Then the contractor will move to Central Elementary to work on the roof above the gymnasium.

Although the contractor working to replace the windows and doors at the Middle School believes he might be able to complete the work this summer, there is a good possibility that it will not be finished by the beginning of school in August. The contractor does expect to finish installing the windows and doors on the east and south side of the school by the end of summer.

"The problem is getting all the windows made," Ehler said. "It's taking them a while."

If this project isn't completed this summer, Ehler said the school would probably wait to finish the project next summer. The school has three years to spend the QZAB funds.

 

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