CRYSTAL FALLS--During the Forest Park school board’s March 31 meeting, Jake Golden of Wolgast Corp recommended they hire U.P. Engineers as the architectural firm to prepare the plans and drawings for a security camera system, athletic field lights and bleachers, and energy cost savings measures. Seven firms bid on the project.

Wolgast Corp of Saginaw, Golden explained, has been in existence for about 50 years and has several divisions including general contractors for industries, design/build teams, and construction management for schools. They have also worked with Negaunee, Ontonagon, Mid Penn, Houghton and Iron Mountain school districts.

Golden has been a project manager for two years, and will oversee U.P. Engineers’ work. He worked on Forest Park’s feasibility study and also handled the management process, put the costs together and selected an architect.

Once U.P. Engineers draws up the plans, they will be given to the state for an okay. “The district has several building needs, and has to explore funding,” Golden noted, “I will help with that, too.” To date there has been no charge to the district for Golden’s work.

In other action items, the board approved a letter of intent to join in a U.P.-wide feasibility study to explore medical benefits for the administrative staff. Superintendent Tom Jayne explained there are 484 administrative employees across the U.P.

A study will be conducted to investigate if it is possible to save money on health insurance because of the large number of potential subscribers. “This may be another way to reduce current costs,” he explained.

The district will be bidding out a security camera system, using a $10,000 grant from Lac Vieux Desert in Watersmeet. It is believed the district can purchase the system and 23 cameras. Business manager Kathy Stankewicz was thanked for securing the grant.

The board will also bid out the building, grounds and transportation supplies for the next school year.

A resignation letter was accepted with regret from Ray Palmer, who has been a physical education teacher and coach for 30 years. A resignation letter was also accepted from high school English teacher Michael Bolz, who will be returning to school to work on his masters degree, and from Sue Austin, girls track coach. The district will post the track coach opening.

Harold Payne was hired as the noon hour supervisor, Chandra Ziegler was hired as a homebound teacher. Second year probationary status was granted to Erich Ziegler, Chandra Ziegler, Jennifer Vollenweider and Bobbi Jo Anderson. Fourth year probationary status was granted to Tom Waurio and Kristin Novara, and tenure was granted to Kathy Warple and Jackie Guiliani.

The board agreed to discontinue the cross country, skiing and wrestling co-op programs with West Iron County. During its last meeting, the West Iron school board voted to dissolve the co-op because it pushed the programs into a higher division. Forest Park was notified retroactively.

Four new district policies were adopted, involving testing, school events, Michigan mandated materials and policy changes for U.S. History and physical education.

The Forest Park Education Association contract will be opened in order to amend the letter of understanding surrounding the early retirement program. No changes are being made at this time.

The board approved the senior class trip to Wisconsin Dells April 20-21. Students have raised about $7,500 and have quotes from James Transit for busing and the Kalahari Motel indoor water park. There will be about 44 students and six chaperones going on the trip.

Cindy Nocerini-Dingell, Forest Park class of 1986 and Lisa Nocerni, class of 1992, were selected as this year’s commencement speakers. Dingell was an administrative assistant to state representative Pat Gagliardi for six years and is now the director of administration for Robert Ficano, the CEO of Wayne County.

Nocerini was a teacher and named an outstanding educator. She then worked at the state capitol with minority leader Kwame Kilpatrick He was later the mayor of Detroit and she served on his staff or six years. She also served as a federal liaison to Washington D.C.

Commencement will be held on Sunday, May 25.

Turning to monthly reports, board member Sue Casagranda said the community schools committee is discussing the cheerleading and pom danz programs. Due to a lack of numbers, they will decide the minimum participants necessary to keep each program going. Board member Dr. Angela Seiter suggested they look at a maximum number, too.

The Intermediate School District, board member Lisa Bloomburg reported, is purchasing four state-of-the art welders, which will allow students to do two different types of welding. And the ISD is in the planning stages to hold a meeting on the possibility of virtual classrooms.

The school improvement committee, board member Bill St. John reported, learned the district cannot fit street law into the curriculum for the next three years, and they are looking at math in a related field, for example welding, which uses a lot of math. They also discussed summer school costs and changes, and talked about personalized curriculums for students.

Superintendent Jayne reported on a superintendents’ meeting he attended. Starting next fall, the state will be re-defining what areas a district can bill for Medicaid, so Forest Park will get about 59 percent less in Medicaid reimbursement to run its special education programs.

“The state keeps cutting at-risk funding and narrows the requirements on how to qualify. So we get less revenue,” he said.

Jayne was notified that starting in April, they can expect a seven to 15 percent increase in the electric bill. 70 percent of the city’s electricity comes from We Energies, he explained, and the costs to the city are increasing. That cost will be passed on to consumers.