, 
Construction of the $7 million performing arts center at Luverne High School has halted for the time being.
Project manager Joel Bornhoft with ICS of Sioux Falls told school board members Thursday evening, Jan. 23, that weather may have compromised the ground under and around the center’s footings.
“The contractor thought it best to delay it,” Bornhoft said.
The soil tests by Geotek Engineering & Testing Services of Sioux Falls were completed over a two-day period, Jan. 13 and Jan. 15.
Geotek officials observed soils under and around some footings for the PAC in “good condition” along with soils under and around some footings with “soft, wet conditions,” where the footing and soils “did not appear to be in good contact.”
“In our opinion that for the footings we observed, the soft soils and the gaps under the edges of the footings are likely due to the soils under the footings freezing after the footings had been pour,” the report concluded. “… the areas that have a layer of soft soils underlying the footings have reduced bearing capacity and these footings also have an increased risk of excessive settlement.”
District officials met with contractors Monday about possible solutions and revise the construction timeline.
“It will help if Mother Nature cooperates and doesn’t have any late cold snaps and storms,” Superintendent Craig Oftedahl said. “We need the frost to come out of the ground and things to dry up.”
Construction contractor Gil Haugen of Sioux Falls will cover costs to compact the soils and/or redo any of the compromised concrete footings.
Officials are now targeting mid-April for work to resume on the performing arts center, located between the existing elementary and middle-high schools.
While work on the PAC is temporarily halted, focus has returned to the remodeling plans for the 1956 middle-high school.
Work recently finished on former band and choir rooms remodel and these areas have become transition points for classrooms and offices as their former locations are remodeled.
The district office, staff lounge and two classrooms are now housed in the former band and choir room locations.
“We have a very busy and hectic summer planned and, with a little weather cooperation, we plan to be back on schedule,” Oftedahl said.
In 10 months of construction and remodeling, the district has spent $13.3 million of the $31.5 million project as well as about $1 million of the $1.2 million in contingency funds.
“We should see the ‘surprises’ slow down as we have uncovered many things that we can now plan for,” Oftedahl said.
Construction is expected to finish in the spring of 2021.
In other business, the school board:
•was informed that the district and the teachers union have agreed to meet with a mediator. The meeting will take place Feb. 28.
•changed a planned Feb. 13 work session to Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
•voted to keep officers and committee assignments the same for 2020. Jodi Bosch is chairman, Eric Hartman, vice chairman, Tim Jarchow, clerk, and Reva Sehr, treasurer.
•accepted the resignation of Cassie Snyders, paraprofessional, effective Jan. 29.