Alberton schools request tax levy for $50k

ALBERTON – The Alberton Public Schools will be asking the community for a Building Reserve Tax Levy to perform maintenance on the school’s roofs and heating system during the May election.

According to Clay Acker, superintendent of Alberton schools, the levy would grant the school $50,000 a year for five years. After the five-year term, the school board would reevaluate the situation and determine if another levy was needed.

The school wants to use some of the money to upgrade their heating systems. Acker said their current system is very outdated and is having problems with some of the equipment. 

He noted the thermostats and radiators on the school’s second floor were not working the way they were supposed to.

“We’ll have to take a look at all the piping going back to the boiler,” Acker said. “We want to make a whole assessment of the elementary building and high school building.”

The high school’s heating system is comparatively new, only approximately 50 to 60 years old. Despite this, Acker felt it would be good to look over the system and see if it should be upgraded or if any repairs are needed. He said technology gets better over the years and there may be a way to make the system more energy efficient.

The boiler should still be in fairly good condition. Acker estimated the current boiler at approximately 15 years old. While he was not certain of the average lifespan of the boilers, he had heard it was in the range of 25 to 30 years.

The roofs on all the school buildings are also in need of repair. The elementary school has reported leaks in their roof and some areas of the flooring have been damaged by drips. While the high school has not had leaks, they have had problems with ice dams.

Ice dams form when snow on the roof melts because heat inside the building rises through the ceiling. The water flows off the roof through drains, but when it reaches an area where no heat escapes, it starts to refreeze. The ice then clogs the drains, leaving the water with no way off the roof.

The gym’s roof is still in fairly good condition. 

A few years ago, Acker said there were some problems with the drains, but they were repaired and everything seems to be working well now.

Acker estimated the elementary school roof was approximately 20 years old and in the worst condition of the bunch. While the high school and gym still have at least five years before their roofs need to be replaced, the school needs to start planning, in advance, to make arrangements for when the time comes.

“We need to kind of space [the money] out over the years,” Acker said.

Acker felt the problems were not unexpected. He said the elementary school was almost 100 years old while the gym and high school were approximately half that. Over the years, equipment needs more maintenance but replacement parts have become harder to find.

Acker noted repairs can also be put off, or done with cheap parts and labor, to save money. This leads to more expensive repairs later, when a full repair becomes absolutely necessary.

“That’s kind of the state we’re at right now,” Acker said. “We’re trying to get it back under control and get things back in better shape so it’s easier to maintain over time, but it’s kind of a never-ending battle.”

Acker was hopeful for the voters to approve the levy.

There will be a public meeting on Monday, April 14, at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. 

The meeting will feature a presentation with a question and answer session to discuss the projects. People will also be able to look around and see the condition of things for themselves.

The election to approve the levy will be held on Tuesday, May 6.