The Fox C-6 Board of Education has awarded $20,579,200 in contracts for improvements to the three schools on the Fox campus in Arnold, three schools on the Seckman campus in Imperial and Antonia Elementary School.
Of that, $16,035,200 will be spent on the Fox Elementary, Fox Middle and Fox High schools. Another $4,076,000 will be spent at Seckman Elementary, Seckman Middle and Seckman High schools, and $468,000 will be spent at Antonia Elementary.
Board members voted unanimously Feb. 15 and March 1 to approve the contracts.
ICS Construction Services in St. Louis was awarded the contract for the work on the Fox schools campus. That company submitted the lowest of two bids, according to board documents.
Brockmiller Construction in Farmington got the contract for the Seckman campus work. It submitted the second lowest of four bids. John Stewart, the school district’s chief financial officer, said Brockmiller was chosen because the lowest bidder, Jackson Building Group in St. Louis, did not include contingencies in its $4,072,000 bid and indicated it likely would seek change orders for any added costs.
The school board awarded Hankins Construction in St. Louis the contract for work at Antonia Elementary. The company submitted the lowest of three bids, according to board documents.
The work at the Fox and Seckman campuses and Antonia Elementary is expected to begin after the last day of school, which is May 27, and most of the projects should be completed over the summer, Stewart said.
The front entrances will be improved at Fox High and Fox Elementary, and a new entrance will be built for Fox Middle, bringing the school’s front door and office closer to the parking lot. The middle school project is expected to extend into next school year, Stewart said.
At Seckman Middle, a new library will be added, and the school’s current library will be converted into two new classrooms. Seckman Elementary will get a new secure front entrance, and science classrooms will be renovated at Seckman High.
The middle school project is expected to extend into next school year, Stewart said.
At Antonia Elementary, six classrooms will be renovated.
In addition, district officials said groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for April, when construction will begin on additions to Antonia Elementary and Meramec Heights Elementary School in the Arnold area.
Those additions were approved in July 2021, when the school board awarded a $13,357,000 contract to S.M. Wilson & Co. to construct them.
At Antonia Elementary, 19,000 square feet of classroom and library space will be added. As part of that project, S.M. Wilson also will replace the HVAC system in the school’s kindergarten wing and add fencing on the property, according to board documents.
Meramec Heights will grow by 26,000 square feet as classrooms, offices and a new cafeteria are added. The school’s art and music classrooms will be renovated, paving will be added outside the building and an outdoor drinking fountain will be installed.
The additions at those two elementary schools is expected to extend into the 2022-2023 school year.
“It is very exciting,” Superintendent Paul Fregeau said about all the projects under way. “During these volatile times of pricing and getting equipment and supplies, to have those things come in within budget and on time is great. The fact we will break ground in April will get that energy going. When people see actual work being done, it will be even better.”
Fregeau said the construction projects should not disrupt the 2022-2023 school year and could event provide learning opportunities for students.
“They can apply math and science as they watch the buildings go up,” he said.
The Fox C-6 School District will fund the projects with revenue from a $40 million bond issue called Prop P that voters approved in June 2020.
Prop P did not increase the district’s tax rate, but its bond debt was extended for 20 years. The district’s overall tax levy is about $4.51 per $100 assessed valuation, and of that, about 39 cents per $100 assessed valuation is for the debt service levy.