Su Valley portables OK'd

April 21, 2006

By DARRELL L. BREESE

Frontiersman

PALMER - Mat-Su Borough assembly members voted unanimously Tuesday to fund six new portable classrooms at Susitna Valley High School.

The $482,000 from the borough's reserve account will provide classroom space for students displaced while repairs are made to the school's roof, which was deemed unsafe last spring because of structural and seismic deficiencies within the core of the school building.

The borough Department of Public Works, together with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, requested the portable classrooms. The repairs will be paid for through $3.8 million in the state supplemental budget, which is awaiting Gov. Frank Murkowski's signature.

Despite the unanimous decision, the vote was not without tension after Public Works Director Keith Rountree expressed concern over building the portable classrooms on site.

&#8220On-site construction cost will include Davis/Bacon wages, which would result in a 20- to 30-percent increase in costs,” Rountree said. &#8220At $80,000 per unit, we would not get six portables paying Davis/Bacon wages. We would likely only get five.”

Rountree's concerns over the potentially higher wages and the need to build off the school grounds troubled assembly member Betty Vehrs, who represents the area. She believe that if the portables are not built close to the school, they could end up being used at another school.

&#8220I would like to see the portables built as close to Su Valley as possible if they can't be built on campus,” Vehrs said. &#8220Once the borough public works department finishes construction, the school district will have control over the buildings. Suppose voters reject the school bonds. If the portables are built, the school district could use them at Goose Bay Elementary School instead. If they are used somewhere else, it might jeopardize the funding for the roof repair.”

There is no guarantee the school district will use the portables at Su Valley, which led Vehrs to attempt to amend the ordinance requiring they be constructed as close to the school as possible.

&#8220That would have done two things,” Vehrs explained. &#8220It would have insured the portables were used at Su Valley and it would have saved money in transportation costs.”

Assembly member Cindy Bettine, who represents the Knik-Goose Bay area, objected and the amendment failed.

&#8220I'm just looking out for the kids at Su Valley High,” Vehrs said. &#8220My experience is that the school board and school district has not been very forthcoming on this and other projects. Bob Doyle is in charge, and they do what they want no matter what.”

School district officials indicated they have no intentions of using the portables at another location.

&#8220Our intention is to use them for the purpose they are being built,” school district information specialist Kim Floyd said.

&#8220They are for the kids of Su Valley High School to use as classrooms while the construction is underway. We have no other plans to use the portables anywhere else.”

&#8220I hope they (the school district) can be trusted on this one,” Vehrs said. &#8220I get a little nervous and don't want anything to derail this roof repair.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@ frontiersman.com