Pond Fort School House Demolition Bid Accepted

The Jan. 19 meeting of the Wentzville School Board, with several important issues on the agenda, convened with a standing-room only crowd in attendance. Here are highlights of the meeting:

• The meeting opened with a .
• The board heard a report on the progress of construction in the district. Weather has been an issue, and one of the retention basins at the new transportation facility on Hwy. A is leaking.
• Technology Director Rich Wilson reported that by mid-January, . In the previous week, Wilson said, five netbooks still under warranty were reported broken. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Melody Marcantonio commented that the district was looking into an optional insurance program that could be offered to parents. 
• The board approved a recommendation by Superintendent Dr. Terry Adams to work with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to install flasher signals on Highway N at the south campus. The flashers will cost in excess of $25,000, Adams said, and the district will ask for a 10 mph reduction in the speed limit on that section of the highway. Chief Financial Officer Kari Monsees said, "The flashers will be similar to the ones at Frontier Middle School, solar powered."
• The next order of business was to help families adjust to the changes.
• The board voted to accept a bid for the demolition of the old Pond Fort school house, which was "parked" on district property at the south campus near . Adams explained that as no group had come forth with an offer to move or renovate the building and it was in such a state of disrepair as to constitute a safety hazard, the district had no choice but to demolish the building.
• As Patch as already reported, the board voted to on Sommers Road.
• A policy on electronic communications between teachers and students was given a first reading. The board will vote on the policy at the next regular board meeting.