Mar 21, 2014 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board Thursday scheduled a special meeting for April 1 to award contracts for the renovation of the junior-senior high school.

The district opened bids for the project Thursday afternoon.

“We are very encouraged on all five prime (contracts),” Superintendent Craig Baily said at Thursday night’s board meeting. “They are very competitive … we’re pleased with the initial view.”

The bid proposals were not presented or discussed at the board meeting.

Baily said the proposals will first be reviewed and analyzed by the district and the project architect, The Hayes Design Group.

The board will hold an open workshop meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday to discuss the analysis, each of the contracts and various alternative bids that are being considered.

“If all goes well,” Baily said, the board will meet at 7 p.m. April 1 to award the contracts.

Baily also reported the district obtained all the required permits to begin the project and he thanked the township, borough and county for their cooperation.

“We are on schedule with everything we have to do,” he said.

“You’re going to see things moving very, very fast, starting no.”

The district plans to renovate not only the junior-senior high school but also the elementary school. The elementary project will be bid later.

Total costs are estimated at $25 million.

The board Thursday approved submitting to the state Department of Education the Plan of Construction Part E, which details the project design and is one of the steps in the process of receiving state reimbursement for the project. The district expects to receive about $7.4 million from the state for the project.

Work is expected to start next month with the construction of a new cafeteria and kitchen in the area between the junior high and senior high.

The work should not impact the use of the buildings for classes through the end of the school year.

At the end of the school year, the junior high will be turned over to contractors to begin work.

Next school year, while the junior high is under renovation, mobile classrooms will be used for classes that can’t be accommodated in the high school.

After the junior high is finished, work will begin on the high school.

Maintenance supervisor David Franks reported a geotechnical engineer had tested the soils in the area where the modular classrooms will be placed.

He said he is very optimistic the district will not have to install concrete piers beneath them for support.

This could save the district $25,000 to $30,000, board member Melodie Berardi said.

A construction trailer already has been installed on the grounds next to the school.

In other business, the board approved a revised school calendar under which the last day of school and graduation will be May 30. James Crockard, a district alumnus and an executive with EQT, will be the commencement speaker.

The board approved the retirement notices for elementary teachers Wilma Tuttle and Paula Zalar. Board member Ken Ganocy noted the teachers’ letters of retirement were two of the “nicest” he has read in his many years on the board.

The board approved the payment of $3,790 for software for the district cafeteria’s point of sale system.