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IRON MOUNTAIN -- The Iron Mountain School Board received an update from Superintendent Jerry Sardina on district building improvements being considered.
HVAC upgrades are needed at several buildings as well as a new fire suppression system at North Elementary. District officials are working to create a more detailed list and timelines for repairs.
Some other items include window replacement, track resurfacing, field house repairs, plumbing and electrical work, roofing and concession stand repairs. Some modifications need to be made to renovation plans at the industrial arts building, which they hope to begin this spring.
The district received a $3.1 million infrastructure grant that will go toward some of the projects, with additional money possibly coming from the Zanardi Family Trust. Sardina mentioned he will meet with financial representatives to explore how to create a sinking fund for the district without increasing taxes.
A sinking fund is a voter-approved local property tax that school districts use as a "pay-as-you-go" method to fund facility repairs, capital improvements and specific equipment without taking out a loan or paying a bond.
Sardina also reported the roughly $2 million in improvements at the Izzo-Mariucci Center have been completed, but some areas are being tested to correctly adjust the HVAC system.
In other business Monday, the board:
-- Heard that a group of Iron Mountain graduates plan to create the Mountaineer Promise Scholarship program that would operate in conjunction with the district's general scholarship fund. The new fund would pay for all college expenses that remain after all other funding sources are depleted for all students who enter school as kindergartners during the program and graduate from Iron Mountain. As discussion is in the beginning stages, there is no timeline on when the new program will begin.
-- Learned the district had opted out of a portion of the per pupil mental health and school safety funds available through the state’s Section 31aa. Sardina said they were not comfortable with some language changes made to the school safety portion. The district will still accept the $53,000 offered for the mental health portion.
-- Heard that a new Catholic school, St. Luke's Classical Academy, plans to open in fall 2027 and would be housed on the second floor of the Imagination Factory building. They are asking to partner with Iron Mountain Schools for athletics and possibly some classes. Sardina said more information will be coming. He said one thing to consider is, depending on the numbers, that could push the district into a higher division for sports.
-- Authorized creation of a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program beginning with the fall term. Eighth grade students will be required to take the program and it will be offered for class credit for students in eighth through 12th grades. The military would pay half of the projected $53,000 base salary. Under program rules, the district must have at least 50 students involved each year. Participation in the program does not require students to enter the military.
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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.