It looks like Northwest R-1 school officials have awarded the final bids for the improvement projects being funded with revenue from the $28 million bond issue voters approved in April 2023.
The board voted unanimously Nov. 21 to approve another $96,047 expenditure for the Valley Middle School addition project and a $1,148,222 contract for improvements to the district’s Bus Barn.
Once those projects are wrapped up, the bond issue improvements will be complete, unless contingency funds the district built into the budget are left over. If that’s the case, district officials may take on another project, like adding air-conditioning to the Northwest High School gym, said Mark Janiesch, the district’s chief operating officer.
The two bids approved on Nov. 21 went to S. M. Wilson & Co. in St. Louis.
Valley Middle addition
The $96,047 expenditure is for steel and asphalt work at Valley Middle School, where a 5,068-square-foot addition will be built to house fine arts instructional spaces, a storm shelter, a vestibule connecting the main building to the addition and more. The addition will cost a total of about $6.1 million, with work scheduled to begin in early 2025. Most of the work should be completed for the start of the 2025-2026 school year since much of the construction will occur over the summer, Janiesch said.
“The restroom renovations, canopies, bathroom remodels, fencing and gates will start directly after school is out in late May and wrap up right before school starts for the 2025-26 school year,” he said.
“There are far too many things to address that will take much longer than a couple of months, so we cannot (wait to start the addition work until) the summer. The items that are inside of the school, like bathrooms, and items outside that would not be safe to do while school is in session, like the canopies, will be completed over the summer.”
In October, the district had allocated $140,317 for the steel work needed for the addition and $12,704 for asphalt work for the addition, but no bids had been received at that time, so when bids came in, an additional $72,183 was needed for the steel and $19,096 for the asphalt, Janiesch said.
Bus Barn
The cost for the Bus Barn improvements includes earthwork and plumbing, electrical and concrete work, as well as paving and fencing projects, according to school board documents.
“For the bus garage project, we will add drainage in the mechanic bays with oil-water separators,” Janiesch said. “We will regrade the parking lot to keep water away from the offices and mechanic bays and add culvert piping from Old Gravois Road to where the bus garage is located to connect driver parking to the bus lot parking for additional parking spaces and better flow. Lastly, we will apply industrial asphalt and concrete to the lot where buses are parked.”
The work to improve the Bus Barn also is scheduled to begin in early 2025.
“Some of the construction will occur in January and we are hoping to do the paving over spring break if the weather permits,” Janiesch said. “If not, then it may have to be done over the summer.”
He said the Bus Barn renovations will begin with grading and drainage items addressed, the installation of the culvert pipes to bridge the two lots and some concrete work. Paving is slated to be done over spring break, the week of March 17, 2025, he said.
Janiesch said school officials were initially concerned about where the buses would be relocated during the renovation of the Bus Barn.
“We will be working with Durham School Services to work on portions of the lot during times when school is in so they do not have to relocate all of the buses,” he said. “They will have to relocate them during the week of spring break in order to get the paving completed. We plan on parking them where their employees currently park. If inclement weather or some other unforeseen circumstances come up that alter our plans, employees can park in the lot between Valley Middle and House Springs Elementary and they can shuttle them to the bus lot.”
Another project is possible
The district also is using bond issue revenue to build additions at Northwest High School and House Springs Elementary School. Bond issue funds also are covering the installation of new playgrounds at the district’s elementary schools, with some of those playgrounds already completed.
“After these projects, there is little to no money left in the $28 million bond issue that isn’t already earmarked,” Janiesch said. “These projects include the remaining playgrounds for High Ridge Elementary and Murphy Elementary and furniture and gym equipment for the Northwest High School addition. Contingency values have been included in all of our bids to cover unforeseen nuances within each project. We will review and reallocate these funds if and when they become available.
“Once we know all of the projects are going as planned and we are confident funds are available, we hope to air condition the Northwest High School gym with bond issue premiums and interest earnings. Air-conditioning the gym has an estimated cost of about $1.6 million.”
Janiesch said he is eager to see all the bond issue projects completed.
“It takes a load off our minds knowing that all of the projects our construction manager and architect are involved in with this bond issue have been bid out and awarded,” he said. “We are looking forward to using our expanded and remodeled spaces.”