Moisture issue delays Eisenhower flooring installation

DECATUR A problem with moisture under the building at Eisenhower High School means that vinyl flooring may not be installed in the lowest level until spring.

At the end of the school board meeting Tuesday, board President Brian Hodges asked for a report on construction because an open house is scheduled for Dec. 18. Project Manager Phil Hazenfield and Mike Sotiroff, director of buildings and grounds, told the board that the moisture prevents the adhesive from setting up, and until the source is pinpointed and corrected, the flooring has to wait.

Hazenfield said the district should not have to pay for the increased costs of correcting the problem. The general contractor believes there is an underground spring causing the moisture, though Sotiroff said he doesnt agree.

The open house and the planned move-in process over the winter break will go forward, even if students have to contend with a concrete floor in the lower level for the spring semester, Hodges said.

In other business, the board approved a tax levy 10 cents lower than last years. Director of Business Affairs Todd Covault said that means that for a $100,000 home, the property tax bill will be $32 lower this year.

The board also voted to abate property taxes for the bonds issued in 2011 to pay for the high school renovations. Sales tax revenues are adequate to make the payments on those bonds, Covault said.

Robertson Charter School CEO Bishop G.E. Livingston and Principal Cordell Ingram gave their annual report at Tuesdays meeting, also. Enrollment is 332 students.

You have received our audit and can tell that we had a good year, Livingston said. We had a higher surplus, because in the previous year, we had a reduction in funding due to your budget cuts, so we budgeted very conservatively, and it turned out well for us. We had challenges this summer that we had to address.

The roof of the building on Geddes Avenue has to be replaced, he said, and because of their conservative budget, they were able to have the worst half replaced for about $200,000. The other half will cost a little more, and they are figuring out how to pay for it now, he said.

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Moisture issue delays Eisenhower flooring installation