OP_041918

opprairie.com News
the orland park prairie | April 19, 2018 | 3
Community Consolidated School D146 Board of Education
Fulton, Memorial building additions bid approved at $4.69 million
Cody Mroczka
Contributing Editor
A somewhat promising
bid that came in $1 million
less than the other seven
submitted ended up being
too good to be true.
But school addition and
renovation projects still
gained another round of
unanimous approval when a
full Community Consolidated
School District 146 Board
of Education met April 9. A
$4.69 million bid submitted
by Chicago Heights Construction
for projects at Fulton
and Memorial Schools
was accepted unanimously
after a favorable recommendation
from consulting architect
Eric Sickbert of DLA
Architects Ltd. and Superintendent
Jeff Stawick.
Sickbert, who is managing
the projects for the district,
said the lowest bidder was
so low it gave him concerns.
After further consultations
with DLA staff, the bidder
ended up rescinding the offer.
The second lowest bidder
failed to include allowances
in its estimates and
therefore withdrew, as well.
Sickbert said the estimated
project total compiled by his
firm was $4.75 million and
Board members were pleased
the bid came in approximately
$56,000 cheaper.
Sickbert also gave a presentation
on the district’s
next phase of expansion with
computer-generated designs
for the additional classrooms,
new cafeteria/multipurpose
rooms and music rooms at
Fierke and Kruse Education
Centers. Fierke is set to
gain three classrooms, while
Kruse will gain four to alleviate
spacing concerns and anticipated
increased enrollment
when the district begins fullday
kindergarten in 2018.
Cafeteria and music room
designs are similar to those
presented for Fulton and
Memorial when the School
Board met in March. Interior
designs include the
use of green and blue color
schemes and floor patterns to
simulate a natural, outdoor
feel, while the music room
is to have acoustically tuned
walls and open space for instrument
storage.
“I think Eric [and his staff]
have done a good job of capturing
the ideas of the team,”
Stawick said. “I’m so excited
about our future here.”
The district has approximately
$6 million in the
working cash fund and has
the authority to sell up to
$20 million in bonds to pay
for the cost of upgrades and
improvements to four of its
schools, but anticipates selling
roughly $14 million of
bonds for the work, which is
expected to begin this spring
and be completed by the fall
of 2019.
On April 9, the School
Board also approved a resolution
expressing the intent
to reimburse district expenditures
on capital projects
from the proceeds of the $20
million bond sale.
Round It Up
A brief recap of action and discussion from the April 9
meeting of the D146 School Board.
• As required by the Open Meetings Act, the School
Board voted unanimously to approve its annual
schedule of regular meetings for the 2018-2019
school year, running from August through June.
• A public hearing is scheduled for May 14 prior to the
regular meeting to discuss a proposed $1.8 million
transfer from the transportation fund to the education
fund.
• The Buildings and Grounds Department received
two locker replacement proposals for boys and girls
locker rooms at Central School, of which approximately
15 percent are broken. The two proposals were for
$65,770 and $87,110, but a cost savings of $18,000
is estimated by having district workers remove the old
and install the new locker system. The School Board is
to consider the request at its May meeting.
• The first reading of revised policies for the Board of
Education was approved unanimously with a second
reading expected at the next meeting.
3 5 T H A N N U A L F R E E
Southland Health Fair
Saturday, May 5 • 9a.m. to 1p.m.
More
than 25
FREE screenings!
Screenings Offered:
◗ FREE total cholesterol blood test
◗ FREE 12-lead EKG (30 & older)
◗ $10 lipid profile (HDL & LDL cholesterol &
triglycerides –a12-hour fast is required.)
Many other discounted blood tests (prostate,
thyroid, glucose, etc.)
◗ FREE cancer screenings for skin & breast health
◗ FREE screenings for arthritis & joint pain,
back & neck pain
◗ FREE allergy tests, vision & hearing screenings
◗ FREE mini-massages and much more
Matteson Community Center
20642 Matteson Avenue
(One block west of Cicero Ave.)
Matteson, IL 60443
Register ahead at:
Ingalls.org/HealthFair
No appointments needed.
For more information
call Ingalls at:
708-915-CARE (2273)