Students and staff at Newton Municipal Schools may see repair projects and construction popping up after the Board of Trustees Thursday approved several project bids for work around the district.
The first project on the agenda was to repair drainage problems at Newton Elementary School.
“We have some drainage issues we need to address,” Superintendent Glenda Nickson said. “These are issue currently at the elementary school.”
The board accepted a $3,500 bid from John Brand’s Plumbing to perform the work.
Additionally, Nickson said, three HVAC units at the high school needed to be replaced. While three bids were submitted for the project, she said one was rejected due to unsatisfactory work previously performed by the company.
Of the remaining two bids, Nickson recommended the board accept Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling, LLC’s bid of $18,900. Although that was the higher bid, she said the company had agreed to perform additional checks on the district system in addition to installing the three units.
“We wanted someone to examine all the piping, all the wiring, not just hook up the units,” she said.
The board agreed with Nickson’s recommendation, citing the additional services as the reason to accept the higher bid.
Also accepted Tuesday were bids for upgraded security throughout the district. The board United Fence Company’s $15,812 bid to install black security around the high school and ADT’s $10,066 bid to install three security doors throughout the district.
Nickson said the fencing would be similar to the fence already in place at the elementary school. It will be black with a decorative fence.
The three security doors will be installed at the high school, middle school and district office. A security door is also planned for the elementary school, but a different style will be needed due to the modular layout of the school’s campus.
Nickson said the funds for security improvements will come from the salary for Mr. McCullum, the district School Resource Officer, who retired at the end of last year. She said the district decided not to replace him and would use the funds budgeted for his position to finance the projects.
