The Waterloo school board’s December meeting saw little in the way of big announcements, though the progress of various buildings and grounds concerns were brought up.

Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron mentioned at the meeting that small adjustments to planned renovations at Zahnow Elementary are currently being discussed.

These changes, he said, are mostly focused on the front entrance to the school. 

Zahnow renovations last received attention at the September meeting when architects for the project shared their plans to expand  and adjust the school’s parking lot and building.

Issues concerning the foundation at Rogers Elementary were also discussed, with work expected to begin later this week even as severe weather remains a concern.

The foundation of Rogers – specifically in the school’s main office – was previously discussed at last month’s meeting when the school board voted to approve repair efforts totalling $95,808.

The school has had problems with the foundation for some time, with previous fixes for the floor’s settling attempted in the past.

Charron expressed that the currently planned construction is a relatively minor project that will hopefully be taken care of over Christmas break.

“They’re coming in just to pour those piers that would be under the foundation to help stabilize that building,” Charron said. “It’s not gonna take them too many days to get that done. We’re hoping that they do get this done over Christmas break.”

The board also approved the purchase of a passenger/cargo van by the superintendent for no more than $25,000.

With the similar approval of a truck previously, Charron said a used van would be helpful as an addition to the district’s fleet.

Also on the subject of renovations, Charron noted ongoing progress on the district’s five-year facility plan while Director of Building and Grounds Will Hulett noted recent improvements such as the addition of outdoor LEDs to the high school and Gardner Elementary.

The board also addressed and approved the Waterloo High School Course Selection Guide for next school year.

The guide was the subject of some discussion at last month’s meeting, with concerns raised about cutting parents out of the course selection process by hosting it online.

It was expressed at both meetings that the decision was made simply to streamline the process.

The board also approved a donation agreement with the WHS Athletic Booster Club for new scoreboards at the high school as well as the first reading of several district board policies.