PTSA proposes

new location

June 10, 2007

By Russel Stigall

Frontiersman

TALKEETNA - Su Valley Jr./Sr. High's parent-teacher group came up with a plan two years ago to relocate the school across the street temporarily rather than farm-out students to other schools during a renovation.

That plan may see its day now that the school has burned down during a long-awaited $5.5 million renovation project. Borough Assemblyman Tom Kluberton said the rubble of Su Valley High was still smoking when he left the scene to meet with members of the Su Valley PTSA at a Baptist Church across the street.

"These guys came out ready for action," Kluberton said.

The room was in agreement to adopt the two-year old plan to use the nearby Senior Center as offices, cafeteria and auditorium for small campus of portable buildings to house students come fall, Kluberton said.

The PTSA chose the senior center because it already had many needed amenities and was close to the school's existing site.

"The school bus routes don't have to change, times don't have to change," Kluberton said.

The site also has enough acreage to put up about 20 portable buildings, Kluberton said. Kluberton said that Scott Schwald, Mat-Su School District's maintenance director, estimated that Su Valley will need around $1.2 million to build the portables and improve the septic system to accommodate the students. With another $800,000 to replace text books, desks and possible a wood shop. The portables will be home for Su Valley high school students for at least two years, he said.

Kluberton said he would present Su Valley PTSA's plan to a small meeting of school board members and Borough Assembly members Monday night and again at a joint school board and borough assembly meeting Tuesday, 6 p.m. at the Borough Assembly chambers in Palmer.

Contact Russell Stigall at 352-2267 or russell.stigall@ frontiersman.com