Ridgeway Community School and the Houston School District obtained funds last week for building improvements.

Ridgeway received a federal grant of $362,076 for renovations to improve acoustics, lighting and renovations on the school’s kitchen. And Houston authorized Nov. 18 the sale of about $1.5 million in bonds.

Carpeting will be added along with wall tiles to soak up sound at Ridgeway, where construction to bring the building up to fire code has turned hallways into amplifiers, director Jodi Dansingburg said. “It’s like an echo chamber,” she said.

The school plans to expand learning spaces and add more windows to reduce artificial light. Proposed kitchen renovations will allow the school to cook meals on site, instead of transporting food from Winona Senior High School every day.

Ridgeway is organizing a community committee to plan the kitchen overhaul. It has until the end of June 2010 to spend the grant money and must raise about $18,000 in matching funds.

In Houston, the bond will fund improvements to Houston High School’s indoor air quality, superintendent Kim Ross said. The building’s ventilation system, boiler and heating system all need upgrades, he said.

“Our buildings are older, and we’ve known we had heating issues for some time,” Ross said. “The quality of the air is really important for the learning environment. It can be pretty uncomfortable for kids.”

The improvements should take about a year and a half. The bond will cost taxpayers $53 for a $100,000 home over 15 years.

The board will vote to sell the bonds next month, Ross said.

In unrelated Houston news, the Houston school board summarized Ross’ performance review at its Nov. 18 meeting. Public school superintendents are periodically reviewed by school boards, and Ross received a composite score of 4.2, rating him between “very good” and “outstanding.”