Adjustment was the theme of Tuesday night's Blair Oaks Board of Education meeting, with much of the talk centering on the transition to the new high school building.
Many of the building principals spoke highly of the Homecoming festivities that ocurred two weeks ago and said the students had been excited to use the new facilities. High School Principal Chris Marshall said he could sense the excitment in the first student council meeting that brought 40 students, which he said "speaks volumes."
Marshall said students had such a good time at the Homecoming dance they weren't ready to leave.
"We had to say, 'This is the last song,'" he joked.
Randy Prenger, director of buildings and grounds, reported on the status of various needs and projects around the district, including those at the new building.
"The new high school is an ongoing project," Prenger said. "We're addressing a few items there all the time."
He listed hardware, HVAC work and locks among the ongoing projects. He also said there was a leak from a sprinkler system in the cafeteria that required drywall replacement, and the district took advantage of the situation by adding extra lighting at the same time. Prenger also said he hoped to have parking lot numbers painted within the next few days, weather permitting.
Another project is the backboards for basketball goals at the high school; a backboard recently shattered during a scrimmage and the floor sustained some minor scratching during cleanup.
Superintendent Jim Jones said the break was "really unanticipated."
There will soon be new backboards as well as new shot clocks and backboard lighting to get ready for basketball season, which begins next month.
Prenger also reported leaks at the middle school. While the leaks are not related to the roof, he suspects that roof will need replacement next. The school's wheelchair lifts are also beginning to show age, he said.
The district's oldest tractor stopped working, and Prenger said it could be replaced with another tractor or a zero-turn mower.
Coordinator of Special Programs Kimberley Walters added that the school had ordered awnings that mistakenly were delivered in the wrong dimensions.
"It just seems to be the theme of everything that's kind of been worked on this year there's been a hiccup," Walters said. She said her job title is apt because it's required a great deal of coordination of many moving parts.
Jones said of the high school, "Everything's going well, it's just a lot of fine tuning to do as we finish the whole project."
The Board also approved new bus routes and a motion to designate old baseball/softball and football boards as surplus property.