by Patty McCormac Coast News Group
RANCHO SANTA FE — The new R. Roger Rowe School will finally get comfortable chairs for its Performing Arts Center.
The board of trustees voted unanimously at its July 7 meeting to fund 350 cushioned chairs with arm rests at a cost of no more than $28,404.38.
Staff and administration have had the opportunity to test several chairs, which have been outside the office of Superintendent Lindy Delaney for the past few months. The most popular will be purchased.
Also approved for purchase were bookcases and classroom cubbies and tables not to exceed $15,000.
Although there are no students at the school during the summer, planning for the next school year keeps staff and administration busy.
There are carpets to be shampooed, fire extinguishers to be recharged, paint to be touched up and staff to be hired.
Delaney said she is looking for drama, art and music teachers for the new school year.
Still, with all the activity, Delaney said it seems more quiet this year.
“Maybe it’s because we are not moving,” she said with a laugh referring to last summer when the construction project on the new school went into high gear and everyone and everything in its way had to yield. The day school was out last year, everything had to be emptied out of several temporary classrooms and some classrooms in existing buildings, keeping staff busy, keeping up with the pace of construction.
This summer there are some residual issues from the construction process with which to deal, such as some outdoor stairs that should have arrived galvanized before being installed. It was discovered too late they were not.
“We’ve had a metallurgist out and they feel they have a situation they can handle nicely this summer,” Delaney said.
Although there was no safety issue for the students, there was an issue of the metal not holding up as well as it should over a period of years.
Delaney said the school district would be compensated for the mistake by the contractor.
“I have been negotiating,” she said. “There will be some kind of refund.”
As soon as school was let out this past June, the construction of the soccer field and track began.
“The field is moving on as planned,” she said. “The rubberized track should be laid on Sept. 26 and 27.”
Delaney said enrollment looks to be down a little this year, especially in the fifth grade, but it is too soon to decide on how to break the students up in class numbers.
“The first part of August is when people start thinking about (enrolling their students) it,” she said.
The board also accepted the donation of a Yamaha Disklavier II Acoustic Midi Size Grand Piano from Joanne Warren valued at $10,000 for the Performing Arts Studio.
They also accepted a gift in the amount of $4,755.09 from the class of 2010 for library books, a globe for the library, a library aquarium, a permanent pedestal for the artwork, “A Fish Story,” and the designation plaques for the gifts.
“They had a little money left over and they wanted to give it,” Delaney said.
