LITCHFIELD -- Two students are documenting the renovation project at Litchfield High School.
Senior Kayla Schmidt and junior Cheryl Muonio produced a nearly 14-minute video and Power Point presentation about the project. The video was shown to the Litchfield School Board Monday. In December 2004, district voters approved issuing $12.5 million in bonds for mechanical and safety improvements at the high school. The project started last year and is expected to be completed in 2007.
Schmidt and Muonio worked on the project for an independent study computer class. They used a computer program called Microsoft Producer, which combines video production and Power Point. The students and their teacher, Karen Bates, brainstormed ways to use the program for their class.
"We came up with the referendum project and went with it," Schmidt said.
The students have worked on the project since October. The video starts with an explanation of the project by Superintendent Bill Wold and then shows a "before" shot of each part of the project. The areas that have already been completed on the project are then shown in "after" shots. An overview of each aspect of the project is also part of the presentation.
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Lockers have been replaced, and the school is in the midst of renovating the main entrance and front offices. Improvements to the auditorium, classrooms, locker rooms and pool will also been made.
Schmidt said in a telephone interview that she plans to update the video with "after" shots, even after she graduates this spring.
She said it's important to document what the school looked like before construction.
"At least for me, to have it all change without anything really documented ... it's kind of a little sad," Schmidt said.
One of the biggest changes has been the new lockers, Schmidt said. The old lockers were covered with murals painted by students in each class, while the new lockers are all the same color, she said. Photographs of the old lockers are in the video.
The video can be seen on the school district's Web site, www.litchfield.k12.mn.us . Click on "Renovation Project" and then on the link for the video.
In other business, the board:
- Awarded a bid for new auditorium seats to H & B for $37,895.
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- Awarded a bid to Innovative Laboratory Systems for $137,112 for science classroom furnishings.
- Reviewed a request by a residential developer to use about 300 feet of school district property near the high school for a street that would access 10th Street. The district will consider the request at its Feb. 13 meeting.
- Approved a labor agreement for clerical workers. They will receive a 4.07 percent increase in wages and benefits this school year and a 3.94 percent increase in the 2006-07 school year.
- Approved a labor agreement for custodial workers. They will receive a 4 percent increase in wages and benefits this school year and a 3.8 percent increase in the 2006-07 school year.
