CPS hears bids for Stadium '76 demo, concrete

Stadium ‘76 took another step towards its eventual replacement Tuesday afternoon, as the Carrington school board approved bids for concrete work and demolition of the 46-year-old structure.

At their regular monthly meeting on March 15, the school board considered three potential bidders: one for concrete work and two for removal of the stadium.

The bids for stadium removal included Pat Biel Trucking, Inc., and J&J Striping. Pat Biel submitted the low bid “to demolish and remove the stadium” at a cost of $5,650.

Board members remarked that Pat Biel’s bid was somewhat vague, and wanted to ensure that their bid included removal of everything that was “in the specs” as advertised. The board carried a motion to approve the bid from Pat Biel Trucking, Inc., on the condition that those assurances were made.

The board only had one bid to consider for concrete work, which came from Carr Construction at $42,520. Their bid includes concrete, rebar and labor costs, but not the cost of gravel “to bring the site up to grade.”

Superintendent Kris Kuehn seemed pleased with the bids pricing, saying that he initially thought the cost could be closer to $60,000. The board unanimously carried a motion to accept the bid.

At Tuesday’s meeting, board members also discussed and approved three resignations from the Carrington School District.

April Foth, the school’s elementary counselor for the past five years, has accepted a K-12 counseling position with the Medina Public School District starting in the fall of 2022.

In her letter of resignation, Foth wrote “Thank you for the opportunity to be part of the Carrington Public School system for the past five years. I’ve enjoyed being a part of this district and have grown professionally and personally through my experiences here.”

She added that the decision to leave was a difficult one, but that the move is what’s best for her and her family.

Also, resigning is the school’s Title 1 Strategist, Karmen Kuehn, who wrote in her resignation letter, “I have enjoyed the experience of teaching in the Carrington Elementary School, and will value the friendships I have formed.”

The final resignation came from Pat Boehmer, who’s leaving his position as assistant football coach - a position he’s held for 25 years.

“The last 25 years have been exciting and entertaining and I have truly enjoyed working with our young men,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “While there are many factors involved in this decision, I feel that it is time for someone younger than myself to take over this spot.”

Boehmer went on to write that his resignation as assistant football coach does not affect any other assignments he has with the district, and expressed a willingness to continue driving the bus to high school football games as needed.

The board expressed their “deep gratitude” for the years of service from all three, and wished them luck in their future endeavors.

Following unanimous approval of all three resignations, the board carried three motions to offer contracts to three new faculty members: Lauran Roscoe and Shelby Both as elementary teachers, and Taylor Matteson as a counselor.

In other significant news from Tuesday’s board meeting, adding a girls’ wrestling program to the Carrington School District became a distinct possibility.

During his superintendent’s report, Kuehn told board members that 24 Carrington students attended an “interest meeting” last week regarding girls’ wrestling, with similar meetings yet to come for sixth graders and New Rockford-Sheyenne students in the coming week.

Kuehn added that adding a girls’ wrestling program would be relatively inexpensive because girls and boys would travel to the same tournaments, eliminating additional travel costs. The host venues would simply have a designated mat for girls’ wrestling at the tournament, he said.

Kuehn added, however, that with such a large number of students already expressing interest, two additional coaches would likely be needed for the program. Uniform and warm up costs would also be considerations.

“... our current coaches are completely on board with it,” Kuehn told the board. “they’re excited about the possibility and are willing to do whatever is necessary to make it succeed.”

The board seemed to share the same sentiment, with board member Randy Hooey saying, “I think the more opportunities we can create for kids, that’d be the best.”

The N.D. High School Activities Association organized the first ever girls’ wrestling season in North Dakota from November 2021 through February of this year. Kuehn told board members that there weren’t many sanctioned teams for the first season, but that they’re anticipating a “tremendous number” next season.

“I know that, nationwide, girls’ wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport,” he added.

A more concrete proposal for girls’ wrestling, with more clarity regarding costs and interest among students, will be presented at the next school board meeting in April.

Before adjourning, the board also approved teacher contracts for the 2022-2023 school year, approved the superintendent’s evaluation, and scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, March 22 at 7:30 a.m. to discuss details of a preschool program.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at 4 p.m. in the high school ITV room.