.jpg)
RANDOLPH – The Randolph Public Schools purchased a cityowned lot that will aid in upcoming construction and beyond.
Superintendent Daryl Schrunk confirmed the district purchased the lot south of the high school and west of the Lied Randolph Public Library from the City of Randolph for $2,000. The Randolph City Council voted to approve the purchase at its last regular meeting. The purchase of the lot has been on Schrunk’s radar since a strategic conversation with former city administrator Ben Benton.
“It’s always been in the back of my mind,” he said.
Once the lot has been prepared, the 2,500-square-foot metal building south of the current Ag building, will be moved and repurposed first to store construction materials. Voters approved an $8.75 million school bond last May for a new Career Technical Education building; utility, security, bathroom and serving kitchen upgrades at the elementary; and air conditioning in the high school’s main gym.
The construction is set to start this spring and be completed by the start of the school year in the fall. When no longer needed to store construction materials, the metal building will be used for vehicle storage.
The school board had discussed selling the building, however, determined repurposing the building for vehicle storage would be a more suitable use. The building had been used for a paint booth but the construction of the new, larger CTE building will encompass those needs. Other items stored in the building – copier paper and softener salt – have been moved into the high school.
Janssen Construction will be getting the new lot leveled and graded and Aschoff Construction will be pouring the concrete and fitting the building onto the lot, Schrunk said. The building will be unassembled from its current site and reassembled at the new location. New siding and electricity will be added but the garage doors can be re-used with additional needed for overhead doors.
“Essentially the building will look brand new even though it is basically the same frame structure,” Schrunk said. “There won’t be any water or bathroom, it’s just a simple parking garage.”
The total cost for the project comes in at $130,000 and will be financed through the district’s special building fund. The special building fund was recently used to fund asbestos removal from the elementary school and replace the roof at the high school.
With the latest project, the special building fund would still sit at $600,000.
“Really as long as we have a half million, that’s where I’d be comfortable at, for the oops or something big that would go down,” Schrunk said.
A statement of assets and fund balances is detailed in the district’s annual report which was recently released and is available for review on the school’s website, www.randolphpublic.org under the Superintendent’s Corner section.
“This is an annual requirement that all school districts must do,” Schrunk said. “With this requirement, I must admit that I enjoy completing it as it has so many positive aspects for our school district, obviously highlighting our students but also what the Board of Education has done to keep Randolph operating an effective school system.”
The annual report highlights student assessment scores on the American College Test (ACT) above state and national averages. It also details the Class of 2025’s post-secondary plans with 47 percent planning to attend community college; an equal 18 percent each attending a university and entering the workforce; and 12 percent attending a state college. One 2025 graduate planned to enter the military.
The annual report also provides a breakdown of school enrollment by grade and gender, as well as a historical look at the district’s tax levies.
