The Deuel School Board met on Wednesday, March 23rd for a special meeting to take action and accept the construction bids and proceed with the building project. The bid opening process took place at the school on March 17th. After the bids were opened and presented, Hasslen Construction confirmed the bids and presented the bid tabulation, alternates, and other cost-savings items to the board on the 23rd.
The project will be funded by utilizing capital outlay certificates, current capital outlay dollars, COVID dollars, and wind tower revenue. The board created a finance committee in conjunction with the administration and we have vetted the viability of a building project now and into the future. Both the committee and board have approached this process by being fiscally conservative while at the same time being cognizant of both the taxpayer and the needs of the district.
Asbestos abatement and demolition will commence after the last day of school. As of now, the process is scheduled to take seventeen months with completion at the end of September in 2023. Unlike most years, the availability and delivery of materials may alter the schedule.
Due to the increase in cost of materials, the scope of the project changed considerably over the last few months and we were forced to cut out a large amount of renovation and some additions, mostly to the elementary. The project will include mostly new construction with some renovation to certain areas.The following items will be included in the new construction: four new classrooms, industrial arts/shop classroom, agriculture classroom/shop, competition gym, kitchen, commons, and bathrooms.
School safety has been a priority since day one, so both the elementary and high school offices will be renovated to funnel visitors into the offices and check in. An ADA ramp will be installed in what is now our current kitchen area, connecting the gym areas to the high school. A “break out” area will be created just inside the elementary which will allow small groups or one on one instruction with students. Overflow parking to the south will also be completed. This will add additional parking and allow for better flow of traffic.
From a calendar standpoint, the next school year will be similar to this year in regards to start and end dates. The following year may require us to start later to allow for more construction time. With demolition and construction, a number of teachers and students will be displaced to other parts of the building and to mobile classrooms adjacent to the school building. Student drop off, student pick up, and parking will also be affected by the project, so I will be formulating a plan to best remedy this situation.
This is an exciting time to be a cardinal and we are all looking forward to what is to come. As we move forward with this endeavor, I will keep everyone informed on progress being made.
Chad Schiernbeck, Superintendent
