Board Approves New H.S. Building Plans
Meeting with Architect Eugene D. Sternberg last Thursday night, Niobrara Board of Education gave final approval of plans for the new County High School building and for slightly revised plans for the elementary addition to the existing Lusk High School. In a meeting that lasted to to very late hour the Board felt much had been accomplished.
Mr. Sternberg advised that work will commence immediately on the necessary working drawings and specifications for both of these projects, and the Board hopes to begin advertising for bids before the end of the year.
General contractors may bid on either or both projects. It is felt that the successful bidder will then have time to accumulate materials and work as soon as weather permits in the spring.
Robert Bramlet, vocational agriculture instructor, and Mrs. Bramlet, home economics instructor, conferred with the architect presenting their ideas and the recommendations of their state supervisors for the most practical, convenient, and economical facilities for their departments.
L.E. Johnsonbaugh, principal of the Lusk High School, was also present to answer the innumerable questions on the practicability of other academic features. Decisions were made on many of the seemingly small but extremely necessary details such as kind and quantity of lockers, locations of storage cupboards and cabinets, electrical outlets, heating units, and temperature controls.
Mr. Sternberg reported on the progress being made in obtaining the necessary government allocations of critical materials, particularly structural steel.
One of the Lusk agricultural classes under the direction of Mr. Bramlet will this week make the necessary soil tests at various depths at the site of the new County High School, and Jack Stipe, Lusk town engineer, is doing the necessary survey work on the sewer line.
HOPE LANCE CREEK BUILDING READY SOON
Although work has progressed slowly on the Lance Creek School addition because of the shortage of help, the building is gradually nearing completion and it is hoped that it may be used for the Christmas program even though some of the smaller details are not finished at that time.
Consideration was given to the need for folding chairs and a stage curtain for the addition and the order for chairs was placed. The color and style of asphalt tile to be used was selected from samples presented by the architect.
OTHER MATTERS DISCUSSED
In addition to the work on the building project, routine matters were handled such as approval of bills for payment, consideration of some requisitions for new equipment and discussion of a few isolation petitions that were not filed in time for consideration before the opening of school.
Clarence Mangus, representing the Niobrara County Fair Board, discussed the use of the County Auditorium for Basketball purposes again this year.
The Board agreed to pay the expenses of music students from both Lusk and Manville to the high school music clinic being held in Wheatland Nov. 20-22, and also expenses for one student representative from Lusk and Manville driver training classes to the Governor's Safety Conference in Cheyenne Nov. 20-21. It was thought that transportation to Cheyenne could be arranged through the Highway Patrol.
Mr. Johnsonbaugh was requested to attend a meeting of the Wyoming School Study Council at LaGrange last Saturday so the more information might be obtained before making a decision on whether to join that organization.
Because of a minor legal technicality it was deemed advisable to reject all bids on the surplus school buildings recently advertised for sale. It is probable that the Board will re-advertise some or all of the buildings again at a later date.
A Special meeting of the Board with the architects has been tentatively scheduled for Monday, Dec. 1.