Members of the Escalon Unified School District Board approved a wide-ranging improvement project for Collegeville Elementary School earlier this month

The action came at the board’s regular January meeting and members approved the local C.T. Brayton firm to provide construction services for the project. It is proposed to include a parking lot extension at the rural elementary school, located at the corner of Mariposa and Jack Tone roads. There will also be improvements made for a student drop off area, a bus drop off area and possible play field upgrade/improvements.

District Superintendent Ron Costa said the design phase for the project is estimated at six to eight weeks and the project will also go through review at the state level. Costa said he is hopeful the work can be done over the summer. That would see the improvements in place for the start of the 2021-22 school year.

In other action at the January meeting, the board approved granting an easement deed to PG&E for the infrastructure for electric school buses, as well as approved a resolution for a CEQA exemption for the San Joaquin County Office of Education Head Start portable replacement at Dent Elementary School.

Several contracts regarding high speed internet, data processing and wireless upgrades were approved as well.

Student Board Representative Ella MacKinnon reported on current and upcoming events at Escalon High School and the board also heard reports from all school principals regarding events at the individual school sites. Providing those reports were George Megenney for Collegeville and Farmington elementary schools; Anthony Varni, Dent Elementary; Joel Johannsen, Gateway Academy; Julio Zambrano, Van Allen Elementary; Mark Vos, El Portal Middle School, Gustavo Arzac, Vista High School; an Eric Simoni, Escalon High School.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the board is set for Tuesday, Feb. 2.