School board thanks students for new meeting room

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough School District has so many kids winning awards they have to hold ceremonies every quarter.

But the ceremony on Wednesday was different in that one group of students received shiny new hammers rather than recognition certificates like their peers. That’s because this group of nine kids helped build the room they were standing in.

Until this year, the high-ceilinged, rectangular space in the district’s administration building was used for storage. Back when the building was still an elementary school, it was used as a gym.

Superintendent Deena Paramo said the district got some money together, hired the students and put a district employee, contractor Mike Dault, in charge.

“This was a really a project to put students to work,” Paramo said.

Chief business officer Ken Forrest agreed.

“Not only did the students under Mike Dault build this room you’re in today,” he told the crowd, “they also learned how to build the room.”

And though the school board and superintendent were a little unsure around all the new technology, it certainly is a nice room, well-lit and minimally decorated, featuring a projector screen in the back and flat screen television monitors throughout the room hooked to video cameras that can zoom in on the person speaking.

Paramo said the school board had outgrown its previous meeting chambers above the library in Palmer High School.

The Mat-Su Borough also is beginning a major remodel this year that will temporarily displace the assembly. The district will loan the borough its new room until the new assembly chambers are complete.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.