The Great Falls Public Schools board unanimously accepted a bid during their Feb. 24 meeting to upgrade the fire alarm system at Lincoln Elementary School.

The district is working to update fire alarm systems on regular basis, with one to two schools updated annually, Brian Patrick, GFPS’ business operations manager, told the board.

In November, the board allowed staff to solicit bids for the Lincoln upgrade.

The current system is original to the building, which was built in 1951 with an addition in 1956.

GFPS planning increases in permissive levies

The upgraded system includes external building alarms for enhanced security, according to district staff.

The district is planning to do the work over the summer, Patrick said.

GFPS received two bids for the project with a low bid from Liberty Electric for $149,658.

Patrick said the engineer’s estimate for the project was $138,996, which he said was pretty close to the bid, and “in this day and age, I’m pretty happy with that.”

The project will be funded through the building reserve fund.

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The building reserve fund is a permissive levy, determined by $110 per student for the prior fiscal year and $15,000 per district.

Patrick told The Electric that as an example, if the elementary district has 7,000 students, the math is $110 multiplied by 7,000, for $770,000 plus $15,000, equalling a $785,000 levy.

The guaranteed tax base factors into how much of a tax is levied on local property owners for this fund and recently it’s been about $1.23 from the state for every dollar budgeted, which is “a good deal for our taxpayers,” Patrick said.

If the district doesn’t spent the entire budget, it’s able to carry those funds over toward larger projects.

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The school board has to notice their intent to increase permissive levies, under state law, annually by March 31.

In January, the board approved that notice.

State law requires that the district identify and list school facility maintenance projects anticipated as part of the resolution, which this year include mechanical, electrical, plumbing and roof upgrades and window replacement per the facilities condition inventory at elementaries, as well as the same at C.M. Russell and Great Falls high schools.