WEYBURN - It’s no mean feat to carry a duel portfolio that requires overseeing sundry items and personnel within the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.
But Andy Dobson, who has been enmeshed in these details since joining the division first as facilities manager and then later as the manager of both transportation and facilities, has managed to co-ordinate and deliver a plethora of projects and programs, thanks to the efforts of a well-trained and deployed team of professionals.
Dobson described the Cornerstone situation with facilities as “chaotic” when he first came aboard in 2007 but “we have come a long way,” he suggested. Dobson was in the boardroom on Feb. 12 to deliver an annual update on facilities in the Cornerstone family, and near the end of his presentation, he included some additional information on transportation issues.
Focusing on the facilities though, Dobson said it has been a rough winter but the various school facilities were holding up to the challenges with their heating systems.
A huge challenge regarding roofing and re-roofing of various schools and other buildings in Cornerstone has now been reduced to a regular, anticipated flow to the point that only a few roofing jobs are now being budgeted each year.
On the caretaking side of the facilities file, Dobson noted there are 35 schools, the division office and the Estevan, Weyburn, and Moosomin transportation shops to care for and maintain. There are 63 full-time-equivalent caretaking positions to fill consistently, currently being carried out by 76 caretakers on call and scheduled.
Recent caretaking challenges have included recruitment concerns plus ice clearing processes following various weather conditions.
Marlin Maas, the caretaking supervisor, made those observations that were included in the Dobson report.
On the operations side, there are services required for a total of 49 buildings, since there are six shops, six teacherages plus the head office to take care of during the year. This takes up time for a team of electricians, facility carpenters, journeymen and foremen and technicians, among others.
Add on the need to oversee 157 regular bus routes that engage 198 school buses that have to be maintained and safely deployed but also 55 fleet vehicles that require regular attention, and you have an impressive list of “must do” projects that never end.
Andy Verhaeghe, the transportation supervisor, reported that cameras have been installed in all new buses since 2019 and that is beneficial during investigations. Dobson noted there were 11 open runs without drivers at the start of the year; there are now just six with 12 new drivers now engaged.
Dobson provided a recent update on the progress of the planning for a new $38.6 million school to be built in Carlyle following a $4.2 addition of funds from the Town of Carlyle to add more features to the original plans. Those new plans from Number 10 Architects of Winnipeg, who are overseeing the K-12 new school project, were briefly made available for viewing by the board members.
The new plans now include a larger main gymnasium that adds 150 square metres plus a mini-gym at 268 square mets and home economics and professional space that adds a further 150 square metres and that leads to additional ancillary space and changes in original plans, he pointed out.
Dobson also noted there is a subdivision of properties for childcare expansion at MacLeod Elementary School in Moosomin and Hillcrest School in Estevan.
He displayed photographic results of the recent upgrade of the home economics laboratory at McNaughton High School in Moosomin that was carried out using their own personnel which came in at a cost of $254,000, which Dobson speculated would have cost much more if the task had been contracted to a construction company.
A relocatable classroom was completed and put in place at Assiniboia Park Elementary School in Weyburn that was done by the Cornerstone team for a total cost savings of $255,000. That project came with a $600,000 grant from the Ministry of Education.
Jim Swyryda, the operations supervisor, had reported to Dobson that LED lighting upgrades are nearing completion with 30 of the 35 schools now using the newer systems that reduce service calls and add years to the life cycles of fixtures. The final schools destined for the upgrades are in Alameda, Macoun, Manor, Pangman and Wapella, and the project will be completed by August.
Macoun School also received a heating system replacement where an older steam boiler was replaced by seven forced air furnaces.
Swyryda and Dobson also noted that two of their staff members are now certified for pesticide applications that will save the division an estimated $55,000.
It was reported that preventative maintenance scheduling is working well as service requests are down by 12 per cent from the last school year.
He was thanked by chairwoman Audrey Trombley and was given a round of thanks from board members who had noted that he had filed a retirement notice that would take place following the conclusion of the school year.
