New GHS security systems planned

Tennis courts project ready for bids

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

By CHRIS ETHERIDGE

The Register-Mail

On Monday night, Paul Woehlke, District 205 director of finance, grants and special programs, told the school board he and some high school administrators visited a Bloomington high school where about 120 cameras were installed recently.

Woehlke hopes to talk to a company in the Peoria area about possible models for GHS.

He said the district is more aware of security issues because of events like the Columbine High School shooting and 9/11, and this is a project the district had hoped to undertake before now.

"Past events give us some concerns," he said. "There is a need for better control."

He said the main office of the high school has no clear view of the front door and the district hopes to be able to better secure that area. Woehlke also said he is aware of other security risks at the building he believes could be reduced by a combination of better securing of the building and added surveillance.

"We're always trying to prepare for an eventuality that we hope never happens," he said.

In other business Monday, Woehlke told the Building and Ground Committee the tennis courts project is ready to be let for bids later this week. Metzger Johnson Architects has submitted a final plan for eight courts plus a storage shed and landscaping. The design includes lighting on three courts with a possible expansion to five.

Officials from the district met with Galesburg City Manager Gary Goddard, early last week and determined that the district was responsible for sidewalks, fences and landscaping, while the district and the city split the cost for lighting and surfaces, according to the original agreement between the two government bodies.

Woehlke said the city is unsure when it can fund its part of the project. He said the funding was not in the 2006 budget, and the city may have to pay in installments.

If the plans are approved by the board and council in January, construction could begin in spring and the new courts are expected to be ready for the girls's tennis season in fall. The current courts have been unusable since early this spring due to large cracks in the surface.

The school board also approved a $94,000 bid to replace the stage rigging in the auditorium. This plan will improve lighting and equipment used to raise and lower curtains.

The bid is less than the district expected so Woehlke said he is considering options on new curtains for the stage.

In other business, the school board:

- Accepted a waiver for the 4-block schedule in Galesburg High School for the seventh consecutive year.

- Approved the 2006 tax levy for about $14.9 million spread over taxable properties in the district.

- Heard a presentation on the Galesburg Area Vocational Center course offerings.