Boyle school board approves final specs for new middle school

Published 7:28 am Saturday, September 23, 2017

The Boyle County Board of Education approved Thursday the final plan and specifications for the new Boyle County Middle School building, allowing the bidding process to move forward over the next two months.

The construction cost is anticipated to be about $27.7 million in a required form being submitted to the state, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the bids come in at closer to $29 million or $29.5 million, said Tony Thomas, an architect from the firm Clotfelter-Samokar, who walked the board through the handful of changes in the final plan.

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Superintendent Mike LaFavers said the school district’s “bonding potential” is in “really good shape” to handle the cost of the new school.

“The number he (Thomas) is showing today is not a problem for us at all — that number will not be a problem at all,” LaFavers said. “And the $29 million is not one which we hesitate on either. So if it turns out $29 million for construction costs, that’s a fine number also. It’s a great project and we are in a good position on bid day if things come in reasonably within what we think might happen.”

The schedule of next steps for the project is:

• 10 a.m. Oct. 26 — pre-bid meeting at the current middle school;

• 2 p.m. Nov. 8 — official bid date at the board office; and

• 7 p.m. Nov. 14 — awarding of the bid at the board’s regular meeting, to be held at Perryville Elementary School.

LaFavers said the district is working to make contractors around the state and region aware of the project, and they anticipate receiving a good number of bids.

The new school is planned to be complete by July or August of 2019. The district was enabled to pursue the huge project by the passing of a “nickel tax” in 2015. The increased revenue brought in by raising property taxes can only be spent on capital projects, such as the new middle school facility.

Thomas told board members Thursday that in addition to the “base bid specifications,” the district will be asking bidders for prices on a list of “alternate” items, such as an exterior courtyard, an upgrade to the rigging area above the planned auditorium and even more basic things such as audio-visual wiring and new food-service equipment.

The alternates will give board members options they can pursue or not, depending on how high or low bids come in, Thomas explained. 

(Ben Kleppinger/ben.kleppinger@amnews.com)
Attendees at the Boyle County Board of Education meeting Thursday night look at the newest renderings of the planned Boyle County Middle School building.

Thomas also presented the board with the newest renderings of what the school will look like, including a rendering of a window wall planned for the lobby of the auditorium.

Officials previously feared they would have to scale back on lofty plans for the 500-seat auditorium, but Thomas said they are now more confident the district can afford an impressive performance space.

“We’re trying to bring a little bit of that dream world back in now,” Thomas said.

One alternate bid will be for a loft space above the stage in the auditorium, extended 60 feet high and providing space for a walkway and extra rigging above.

“Even in the base bid, it’s going to be a nice facility,” Thomas said. “But certainly the fly loft would open it up to a lot more possibilities.”

(Clotfelter-Samokar)
A rendering from architectural firm Clotfelter-Samokar shows one perspective of what the new Boyle County Middle School building will look like, including a wall of windows on the exterior of an auditorium lobby, at left.

 

(Clotfelter-Samokar)
A rendering from architectural firm Clotfelter-Samokar shows one perspective of what the new Boyle County Middle School building will look like.