Board approves retention pond pumping at school site, approves personnel changes

Summerland Board of Education members worked through a number of agenda items, Feb. 16, during the board’s monthly meeting.

Superintedent Kyle Finke shared potential pricing to pump water from the retention pond, located on the northeast corner of school property.

Water should drain from the pond, but it’s been slow to leech from the pond since it was built.

Board president Ed Nordby said standing water, of any kind, is a liability.

According to Finke, Bob Napier, who farms the land surrounding the school, submitted a cost of approximately $16,595, to pump the water through his irrigation system.

Napier calculated approximately 900,000 gallons of water are in the pond currently. At the deepest point, water measures 16 inches.

“I think some evaporation is taking place,” Finke said.

Napier will irrigate from the pond in the spring and fall.

Finke said, “If there’s a big rain (in the summer), and it’s got to go, he’ll let that go on his field as well. Once the crop is up, he would like to avoid using that water.”

Board member Marty Kerkman asked what type of system will be used to pump the water.

“A float-type system will never get empty,” Kerkman said.

Finke said a submersible pump was discussed.

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of Kami Dickerson, high school special education instructor, at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

A new speech language pathologist was hired for the 2022-23 school year.

Shannon Stelling was selected to fill a vacancy created following the resignation of Sheila Kropp, effective at the end of this school year.