South Putnam board accepts bids for construction projects

The South Putnam School Board has chosen to move forward with construction projects both at the high school and Central Elementary as well as adding additional parking at Central Elementary.

Representatives from Schmidt Associates, Kyle Miller and Steve Schaecher, came before the board once again with three bid offers for the projects with all bids coming in much higher than originally estimated. The bids came from M.S.I. Construction Inc., 3D Professional Contracting Inc. and Quantum General Contractors Inc.

"The bids were pretty close together, which we like to see. The downside is, they're higher than what we thought they would be," Miller said.

After reviewing the bids, which came in as both single bids and combined for both projects, the board chose to accept the base bid and an alternate bid for a metal roof through M.S.I. Construction for a total of $1,158,200.

"I think one of them (the reasons the bids were higher than expected) is the mechanical system," Miller said. "We have some ideas to get some money back out of it maybe with the mechanical system. We thought the masonry was high as well, higher than our estimate. You can see there's quite a range from one contractor to the next. It could be that maybe construction is getting more active. Prices are starting to go up and part of it is, we just missed our estimate."

Board President David Bombei along with board members Wes Hacker and Steve Cash all voted to accept the bid, while board members Anthony Heavin and Angie Nichols voted against.

By awarding the bid, Schmidt Associates will be working with the contractor M.S.I. Construction to see what can be done to try and lower the costs as much as possible.

"We feel there's room to get it back down, but with using their ideas and talking through those things," Miller noted. "Now that they're on board officially, it makes it much easier to discuss options with them."

Schmidt Associates also advised the board that they have been in talks with 3D Pro on the status of the vents around the outside of the high school and middle school buildings, which the board was not satisfied with the look of following the exterior skin project.

"They are going to be, this week hopefully, putting up frames and also putting up another option to completely cover the openings with kind of a stand off with a board," Schaecher said. "They've been held up a little bit because he's trying to get a good color match, but we told him we'd like to get something up as soon as possible so that we can just see something."

Schecher and Miller also advised the board that he will be pushing 3D Pro to try and get at least of the front of the building cleaned up before graduation.

The board also addressed the issue of additional parking at Central Elementary, which was previously tabled in the fall.

Clark Brothers Excavation presented the board with two options for additional parking at Central Elementary.

The smaller of the options includes adding two rows of additional parking due north of the edge of the existing blacktop at a cost of $14,876.30. The second option is the larger of the two and includes all of option one plus the area on west from the edge of the drive down to the road and then north for a cost of $28,256.

"We looked at it in the fall," Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt said. "Regardless of how it comes, they (Central administration) want more parking. This is just gravel. There won't be any spaces marked, it's just a wide-open lot."

Heavin and Nichols both agreed that they would like the item tabled to gather more information. However, Hacker, Bombei and Cash moved to accept the second option with the prevision that no top soil is hauled off and it stays on site as well as it be done before school starts at a cost of $28,256.

"The only reason I hesitate to table it is that he gave this to us a year ago," Cash said.

As with all other area schools, the South Putnam School Board moved to join the WIC Conference.

"We're excited to move forward and to give our kids the opportunity to compete," High School Principal Kieth Puckett said. "There are a lot of pluses from joining this big conference. It's going to be unique in Indiana. We're going to be in two divisions, a 12-team conference."

Puckett also noted that in South Putnam's divisions for team sports, there will really be five opponents. However, in individual sports, there will still be one-day events.

"It gives us a big conference to compete in and for our kids to get recognition in, but yet it's still going to have a small conference feel," Puckett added. "In the team sports, like football, basketball and baseball, we'll really just be in a six-team division."

South Putnam's division will include Greencastle, Northview, South Vermillion, West Vigo and Sullivan.

In other business:

* The board honored Central Elementary student Elizabeth Dobson, Fillmore Elementary student Makonahey Stearley, Middle School student Tanner Pistelli and high school student Lane Hacker as the April Students of the Month.

* The board approved the use of a corporation bus and driver for 4-H camp. It was noted that this request is done annually.

* The board also approved the resignations of part-time instructional assistant Amanda Long at Central Elementary and middle school/high school food service worker Katelynn Moton.

* The board also approved the resignations of William Merkel as the girls' varsity basketball coach as well as Tona Gardner as the audio visual director.

* It was also approved to hire Kristin Hendrich as a middle school/high school guidance counselor, Sherry Brooks as a middle school/high school custodian, Janet Carpenter as a middle school/high school food service worker and Mona Hutcheson as a part-time instructional assistant at Central Elementary.

* Tim Garver was approved as the varsity girls' basketball coach and Greg Dean as a middle school/high school teacher and the varsity boys' basketball coach.

* The following summer employees were also hired: Nathan Aker, Carl Coons and Allan Rains as drivers ed teachers; Mark Carr and Lisa Tandy as mowers; Nancy Ashcraft and Tanner Barr as bus workers; and Traci Boyce and Hilarie Pistelli as high school office workers.

* Bernhardt also noted that a total of 52 students signed up during the recent kindergarten round up. It was asked that in the event a family missed the round-up times, that parents contact the schools and advise them if they have a child that will be signing up.