Last week, the East Greene School Board accepted a bid for asbestos removal of the Rippey School Building.

Superintendent Tim Christensen says the winning bid is from Environmental Management Services of Iowa, Incorporated out of Dubuque for $95,600.00.  He comments that he is going to apply for an Iowa Department of Natural Resources Derelict Building grant to help offset the cost of removing the asbestos from the 1920 building and demolishing all but the gymnasium.

Christensen states the two districts, East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton, needed to keep an extra gymnasium for various competitions throughout the winter months with basketball schedules for freshmen, junior varsity and varsity.

When they sent out bids earlier in the school year, no acceptable bids came back until this month.  Last summer, the Board decided to remove the current heating system from the main part of the building and install an efficient heating source in the gym area.

Christensen notes that the asbestos removal may not begin until mid-February and that the next step is to send out bids for demolition of the main building.

He believes may start as early as August.