BCLUW board approves grand piano purchase

Thanks to a spirited fundraising effort led by high school band director David Bartling and choir director Michael Jahn, the BCLUW music department will purchase a new Baldwin SD-10 grand piano after receiving final approval from the school board on Monday morning.
           
According to Bartling, a successful letter writing campaign and food sales have pushed the total raised to between $8,700 and $8,800, and the piano itself is estimated to cost around $8,500. The delivery will cost another $1,800, and Bartling added that he plans to apply for more grants while working toward a final goal of $24,000 to cover future repairs. A motion to approve the purchase carried unanimously.
           
Superintendent Ben Petty reported that district expenditures are almost identical to last year as the midway point nears, and he alluded to several high profile scandals regarding improper spending by school employees—including at Waukee, where the district’s former Chief Operating Officer was recently charged with three felonies—as a testament to the frugal and closely watched fiscal situation at BCLUW.
           
“We’re doing our best to keep our ‘I’s dotted and ‘T’s crossed and stay out of the (Des Moines) Register as much as we can,” he said. 
 
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