Thursday, July 12, 2007 1:10 AM CDT
School board OKs new bid for greenhouse
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Even though agriculture classes at Mattoon High School won’t begin until mid-August, there’s a sense among administrators that the revived agriculture program has already been around for a while.
At least, this appears to be the sentiment regarding the construction of a greenhouse for use by forthcoming horticulture courses.
“It seems like we’ve been talking about a greenhouse for years,” Superintendent of Business Tom Sherman said at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
But, talk of a greenhouse finally is blossoming into action. After rejecting two bids last month, the board on Tuesday approved the new, single bid for manufacturing and erecting the 30-foot, by 70-foot structure on the MHS campus this fall.
Missouri-based Hummert International won the $128,595 contract for fabricating and putting up the greenhouse, the design of which incorporated input from a committee of agriculture experts and educators.
School district officials said they hope to host horticulture classes in the greenhouse during the 2008 spring semester.
The board did not accept either of the bids submitted in June, as administrators believed the project’s specifications may have been unclear.
Sherman said the decision to seek new bids was “wise,” as the proposal by Hummert International came in about $7,000 less than the bid most under consideration last month.
The fall semester marks the return of an agricultural education program at MHS, which has been absent since the 1980s. Officials initially expected about 100 students to be a part of the new ag program, but more than 200 have already enrolled.
“We do have interest, and we haven’t even cracked a book yet,” Sherman said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Superintendent Larry Lilly announced important beginning-of-school times and dates:
-- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 6, elementary, middle school and high school registration will be held at the two elementary schools and the high school (Mattoon Middle School students will register at Williams Elementary School).
-- 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., registration for the elementary schools and MMS at the same locations.
-- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., high school registration at MHS.
-- 7:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 13-14, HOPE Summit at Williams Elementary School.
-- Aug. 16, classes begin (two-hour day).
-- Aug. 17, students dismissed two-and-a-half hours early.
-- Aug. 20, first full day of classes.
On Tuesday, the board established meal prices for the 2007-2008 school year identical to last year’s rates: Elementary school lunch, $1.60; middle school lunch, $1.65; high school lunch, $1.65; adults with a drink, $2.05; reduced price lunch, 40 cents; paid breakfast, $1.10; reduced price breakfast, 30 cents; and adult breakfast, $1.40.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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