WINGATE — The low base bids for Bald Eagle Area School District’s high school renovation project came in about $3 million less than architects and district officials say they initially anticipated.
School board members set a cap of $26 million for the project that will combine the Bald Eagle Area junior/senior high school complex with the adjacent Wingate Elementary School on South Eagle Valley Road.
The lower bids gave board members room to decide if they wanted to award alternative bids, such as $290,000 to build a 1,800 square foot large-group instruction room.
“They came in low enough that they can pick the alternatives they want to make sure they get the most bang for their buck,” said Rick Vilello, who’s representing the district as its construction manager.
Board members voted 9-0 to award $18.72 million in base bids on Thursday. Those will go towards: $7.16 million to Altoona’s Mid-State Construction for general construction work; $2.07 million to State College-based HRI Inc. for site construction work; $6.77 million to Lewisburg’s Silvertip Inc. for construction related to heating, ventilating and construction; and $761,500 to Johnstown’s K&K Plumbing Co. Inc.; $1.95 million to Bloomsburg-based Howard Organization Inc. for electrical contracting.
All five companies were the lowest bidders.
Board members did not award all of the alternative bids before press time Thursday evening. But board members agreed to spend $150,000 to replace the existing auditorium seating and install a new floor finish; and spend $245,000 that will go towards reconfiguring the existing kitchen serving and dish-washing areas and to expand the serving lines.
The district had to award all of those alternative bids for general construction to the base bid winner in that category, which was Mid-State Construction.
Board members accepted Superintendent Dan Fisher’s recommendation that the board not award a $125,000 bid to alter the administration suite in the high school, saying it would result in the loss of two classrooms.
Board President Keith Reese was the only board member to vote against the bid for the $290,000 large group instruction room.
“We could better spend that somewhere else in the district,” Reese said.
School officials and board members say the room could be used for professional instruction, multiple classroom sessions, choral music program and other activities.
“The way our school is used as a community meeting center also makes that room much more useful,” said Thomas Letterman.
In other action, the board unanimously approved a $26.35 million budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year that includes a 2.2 millage increase. Business manager John Gribble said a property assessed at $29,166.56, the district average, would see a $64.17 property tax increase.
Ed Mahon can be reached at 231-4619.
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