Highland Park drainage update OK'd

Havre Daily News/Nikki Carlson

Children play on the playground this morning while waiting for school to start at Highland Park Early Primary School.

The recently re-elected Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees, under new Chair Darlene Bricker, met for the first special afternoon meeting Tuesday.

At the meeting the board, aside from some personnel actions, approved a bid to improve the drainage system around Highland Park Early Primary School.

The approved bid, for $141,200, came from Patrick Construction & Pipeline of Havre.

The board approved the lowest bid it received, though the project was expected to run up to $200,000.

The construction will improve the drainage with better collection of the water and new PVC pipes to move it to a collecting basin, then on to the city's water drainage system.

According to Superintendent Andy Carlson, the construction could begin as soon as next week, with hopes of finishing the project well before the next school year begins.

"We're hoping that they'll be done quick enough to have grass growing before school starts, " Carlson said.

"I've got a first-grader that wouldn't forgive me if we didn't. So I've got a lot of pressure. "