Lake Holcombe School Board - If you have a resource available, why not use it?
Lake Holcombe School Board
By Ginna Young “We’ve been tossing this idea around for quite a few years.”
That’s what Lake Holcombe tech ed instructor Andy Lorenzen said, March 24, at the monthly board meeting, about a proposed sawmill he and ag instructor Kent Dorney would like to purchase. After touring the Prescott School District and seeing their sawmill operation, the two Lake Holcombe teachers know something like that is in their grasp.
However, funding is the hold-up, as costs continue to soar. Each year, between the ag and tech ed programs, and the needed materials for LH Products, the studentrun store, it costs about $5,000-$6,000 each year, to get lumber.
If the school had their own sawmill and a kiln to dry the wood, they could be completely self-sufficient in that respect.
The sawmill is a manual 19 hp gas engine, cutting logs up to 16 feet long and 30 inches in diameter. Allying any safety or insurance concerns, the school would follow OSHA standards for what students can operate.
“It’s capable to do all the things they need,” said Dorney.
In theory, they could even take the sawmill to a close location, if someone donated logs for the students to cut up.
“We’ll be portable, we’ll be mobile,” said Lorenzen. The two are looking into options for a kiln, as space is
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the issue. What is not an issue, using the resources they have in the school forest.
“One or two trees a year, would supply the amount of hardwood the tech ed program needs,” said Dorney, referencing that that is much better than how Prescott’s mill is set up. “We have a massive resource around us…what we do with our product, is further along that what they are.”
Right now, the mill is in the planning stage, but once they get enough to purchase the $15,000 mill and make it operational, they plan to introduce it to existing classes. They can then expand to make signage for the community and use the mill operation to generate income.
“These are the types of projects kids love doing,” said Dorney “This would make us be able stand out over other school districts, and provide a more self-sufficient resource of wood and giving them a pretty good skill to have, as well, in this area.”
It was also reported that Lake Holcombe is exploring the option of four-year-old kindergarten five days a week, beginning next school year.
“We’re probably moving strongly in that direction,” said district administrator Kurt Lindau.
Lindau also mentioned that the school is requesting blacktopping bids for the back parking lot this summer, and that the entire elementary hallway was retiled over spring break.
“It looks really nice,” said Lindau. In the business portion of the meeting, the board approved the hire of head baseball coach Phylicia Smith; assistant baseball coach Andy Johnson; and head volleyball coach Amy Lorenzen.
They also accepted $100, from David and Sue Staudacher, to the archery program; $100, from the Holcombe United Methodist Church Women, to the care closet; and $75.46, from the Knights of Columbus, to special education.
In addition, they agreed to move the next meeting to April 28.
Tech ed instructor Andy Lorenzen (left) and ag instructor Kent Dorney spoke, March 24, about their plans for purchasing a sawmill for Lake Holcombe School. If they can raise the needed $15,000, the ag and tech programs can be self-sustaining, with wood from the school forest, as well as any donated logs from the nearby community.
Photo by Joy Dain
