Bids to be sought for school project
CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board during its Thursday night meeting authorized the administration to advertise for bids for the renovation of the elementary center, a project earlier delayed because of the then-ongoing renovations at the middle-senior high school.
The district plans to solicit bids for the project in February, Superintendent John Menhart said Tuesday.
The project will include replacement of the roof, exterior doors and classroom finishes, mechanical and electrical upgrades, installation of LED lighting and upgrades to restrooms to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The project also will involve construction of a new, secure entrance, Menhart said.
The entrance will be re-configured to require anyone entering the building after the start of school to first be “buzzed in” through a locked door and then pass through the office.
Some of the changes that will be made in the classrooms, Menhart said, include replacing carpet with tile and constructing small cubicles at the back of each room to provide an individual space for students to store coats and other items.
The project originally was scheduled to start last June. However, the board agreed earlier to push the project back about a year, because of the then-ongoing renovations at the middle-senior high school. The bulk of the $20.4 million renovation of the middle and senior high schools was completed at the start of the current school year.
The district hopes work on the elementary project can begin in April or May, provided areas of the school can be made available for work without causing disruption.
The board scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. today to possibly hire a construction manager for the project.
Accelerated Construction Services, the construction manager on the middle-senior high project, had opted not to participate in the elementary project, Menhart said.