Urgent Sprinkler Repair Needed at CRSD Schools

At this month’s October School Board meeting at the Kenny Lake School, superintendent Theresa Laville informed the board a routine sprinkler inspection revealed a critical infrastructure issue for the district. Fire protection sprinkler heads at the Glennallen School building were found to be leaking or corroded. They must be replaced, along with some other miscellaneous parts, and the system must be refilled. 

For the building sprinkler system to be resilient to the Copper Basin’s cold temperatures, a 60% glycol solution is needed. This is out of compliance with a regulation established in 2011 stating the maximum level of glycol permitted in a sprinkler system is 38%. The regulation was established because at too high a level, glycol can present its own fire hazard. The Kenny Lake School is also out of compliance with this regulation. 

The district requested dispensation from the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s office to refill the system to 60%. The board approved a bid for $40,969.60 - almost $19,000 of which is for 55 gallons of a product called “SAFE-T-THERM” glycol - for Yukon Fire Protection to do the work, if the district receives permission.

If the sprinkler system at the Glennallen school can not be serviced, the district will be required to hire personnel to perform 24/7 “fire watch” on the facility. If it can be serviced, this will be a temporary fix. The system will still need to be replaced with a dry system.

Going forward, the Superintendent’s office is in the process of applying for emergency state funding to replace both the Glennallen and Kenny Lake sprinkler systems with fire suppression devices consistent with current regulations. 

Board President Mark Somerville acknowledged that the board bore some responsibility for the current situation, saying “This should not have slipped through the cracks since 2011.” He suggested the board monitor critical systems more closely, create a system for tracking infrastructure needs, and form a committee dedicated to keeping track of district facilities’ long range safety needs.

At press time, the District Office had not received an answer from the Fire Marshal’s office.

The district approved a low bid from Crowley Fuels for a 15 cent surcharge on fuel delivery, added to $4.22 per gallon for heating fuel. Board members noted this is about a $2/gallon increase from last year. 

New hires in the district are Bessie Henry and Janelle Johnson as Slana paraprofessionals, Cheyenne Yarrish as Kenny Lake School Custodian, Rickie Thompson as a Glennallen paraprofessional, and Tamme Boutte as bus driver for Slana School. 

The 2026-27 Student Handbook was approved, with some changes making honor roll and tardiness policies more specific, and some changes to earthquake and lockdown policies. Board member Mark Pick inquired whether a student project as a graduation requirement is in the Student Handbook. Laville stated the status of this proposed requirement was still being determined, and is not in the handbook due to not being “set in stone.” 

September activities highlighted by staff and student representatives included a bonfire at the Kenny Lake School and a Kenny Lake High School Trip to Kennicott. Student Representative Mae Scudder also noted Student Council organized a trash pickup and removed five bags of trash. Jeff Doty has also brought Little Dribblers back to Kenny Lake School after a long hiatus.  

The visiting planetarium program held at the Glennallen School, a partnership between WISE, UAF Geophysical Institute, and the HAARP (High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) facility was mentioned by several as a good experience.

Future activities on the horizon include a proposed biathlon created by ski coach Bruce Rogers, using laser rifles. 

Through the ARCTIC partnership, two students participated in a union youth electrician program. This will continue in the spring. Superintendent Laville praised Jared Dale for making substantial contributions to the program. Somerville stated the board needs to work on ensuring that ARCTIC programs “gel” with State graduation requirements. He noted it would help students with planning to have explicit knowledge of whether and what kind of credit they receive from participating. 

Eileen Ewan and Anna Bell-Hand, who are both stepping down, were honored for their service to the board.