The old CCA building that was attached to the Pearl Street gym for more than 60 years is going down later this year.
The Wayland Board of Education Monday night agreed to accept a bid from Oetman Excavating of Leighton Township for $83,900 to demolish the old structure as soon as school lets out in June. But first, asbestos removal will from the ceiling, floors and roof will be needed to be done over spring break.
The school board also approved the low bid from Martin & Associates Environmental Services for up to $59,233 for the project.
Patricia Velie, assistant superintendent for finances and operations, said the razing will result in more parking space across the street from Pine Street Elementary.
She explained, “We will be getting rid of a structure that no longer has any value to the district.”
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the board:
• Heard a presentation from Teresa Fulk, assistant superintendent for instruction, about the options for the Career Connections Academy. She said the schools could restore the program geared to students who don’t flourish under a traditional educational system, could institute an on-line program or could dissolve CCA altogether. Fulk said she favors the first option and Board Vice President Pete Zondervan said, “Some students have really thrived well in that program.”
• Learned that the family of the late Russ Porteus plans to donate a granite bench with his name on it near the old Band Boosters site.
• Learned that the strategic planning project has include examinations of the “Be Nice,” “Capturing Kids’ Hearts,” “Love & Logic” and “Mind Up” social and emotional programs, but no decisions yet have been made.
• Heard an explanation from Supt. Dr. Christina Hinds about her resignation, in which she said she did not actively seek other employment, but was offered an opportunity as deputy superintendent at Northview Schools that she couldn’t pass up.
Ironically, her predecessor, Norman Taylor, once was superintendent at Northview before coming to Wayland.
I would like to know if these bids are open to the public and was the lowest bid excepted for the demolition. The article says the lowest bid was accepted for Martin & Associates for asbestos cleanup, but what about the demolition bids.
There was only one bid for demolition.
Thank you. I was just wondering how the process works for school bids. And if they have a project manager that sends out quotes for the work to be done.
Hello Mr. Annable –
Great question! Here at Wayland Union Schools we follow the State’s bid guidelines as well as our own Board of Education directed policies. Any one item over $5,000 and up to the State bid threshold of $26,046 requires three quotes. In general we take the most competitive unless reason to believe the quality is not the same or issues with the vendor previously. We do look for products that are apples to apples. If over the threshold, the district holds a full bid/RFP process. Postings for any open bids are on our district website: Bids. Bids are posted on the website as well as on the State’s bid site: SIGMA. All bids arrive sealed, are opened at a designated and posted date and time by at least two witnesses. Again looking for the best, competitive bid for the item. The bids then move to the Board of Education for first reading and approval at the next meeting or second reading. I prefer at least three responses, but sometimes that does not happen. I then look at the bid received with my team members and review the one bid that did arrive for cost, value, end benefit. If I am unhappy with any and all bid responses, WUS has the option to start all over again.
With big construction projects (like the Bond), our Construction Project Management team at Triangle does pull all of this together for the district as part of their service. That said, the district reviews all of this paperwork and gives final approval of award.
I hope I cleared up some of the mystery regarding the district and bid processes and it was an excellent question!
Thank you. Pat Velie
Thank you for the response. Greatly appreciated.
It was the industrial arts building. Auto mechanics was taught in an old gas station at Sycamore and Main at the southeast corner. Mr. Frank Bastian was the instructor in the late 1960’s.