T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Marshalltown Community School Board President Bea Niblock and Superintendent Theron Schutte discuss proposed projects on Monday. The board took steps toward installing air conditioning at the Marshalltown High School, permanent walls in Anson Elementary and constructing a tornado safe room at the stadium complex.

The Marshalltown Community School Board took a step toward installing air conditioning in the Marshalltown High School during the regular Monday meeting.

Board members approved an agreement with FEH Architects of Dubuque to create a preliminary design and cost estimate. One probable cost presented to the board was $7 million.

Air conditioning is to be installed in the first and second floors, music areas, kitchen, cafeteria and pool areas.

“This has been a priority for the district for a long, long, long, long time,” Superintendent Theron Schutte said. “But we’ve been challenged to figure out how to do it in a cost effective and time effective way.”

Schutte said preliminary plans and cost estimates will come first.

Another design and cost estimate agreement approved by board members involving FEH Architects is improvements to Anson Elementary for an estimated cost of $2.2 million. Air conditioning and LED lighting would be included in the improvements. Schutte said another improvement is enclosing the open-air classrooms with permanent walls, which is a huge priority.

“May I just say it’s about time,” Board President Bea Niblock said.

She started working at Anson Elementary 25 years ago and some of the same improvements needed to be done then. Niblock asked if the south windows would also be fixed. She was told those were not included.

“Are you kidding me?” Niblock asked. “Seriously. The south windows were leaking snow and rain when I was there.”

Schutte said the district can try to fit repairs to the south windows into the budget. Niblock said the windows need to be fixed before the classrooms are enclosed.

The third agreement the board approved with FEH Architects is for preliminary plans and cost estimates for a tornado safe room at the high school stadium complex.

“As a result of the derecho and the Presidential declaration of disaster, the state of Iowa, similar to the last time this occurred when they had Cedar Rapids floods, they have an infusion of millions of dollars coming to the state, most of which goes toward recovery,” Schutte said. “A certain percentage of those funds have to be used for pre-mitigation efforts and strategies.”

The district will apply for a FEMA Pre-Mitigation grant which would pay for 85 percent of the $2.1 million cost.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611

or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.