SOUTH WAYNE — The School District of Black Hawk has had a roller coaster ride with its facility upgrading project.
In 2021, voters turned down $14.225 million for capital improvements, which included removal of a portion of the current building while constructing a new portion to replace it. Then 365 days later, an $8.5 million referendum passed, aiming for similar goals.
Over the following months, the United States saw its largest increase of inflation and costs of building materials and wages also increased. So, while Black Hawk was happy to have a new project get approval by voters, the cost of the project came in nearly 25% higher due to the timing.
On Dec. 28, 2022, school superintendent Willy Chambers sat down with architect Tim Ruppert and representatives from four construction companies to go over the bids for the project. All four came in at over $2.5 million above available funds. Complexity of the project as well as asbestos removal also contributed to the over-budget bids.
“So, we needed to reset and discuss options on how to proceed with the project,” Chambers wrote in a letter to the public on Jan. 26, 2023. “Mr. Ruppert and I immediately started to discuss what options may be available. All options that we could think of at the time were put on the table.”
Options included going back to another referendum to cover the excess costs of the projects; borrow an extra $1 million without voter approval, as allowed by state statute; rebid the project; change the scope; win the lottery; do not proceed with the project; or a combination of two or more options.
Chambers met with Kevin Mullen of Baird Public Finance on what the cost of running an additional referendum might be, or the cost of borrowing more money. Ruppert began working on options to change the scope of the project.
“When Tim was reviewing and revising the scope, he kept the following items in mind to guide his work. These items were discussed as part of an attempt to honor the work and interests expressed by the Board, the focus groups and community as we worked on this project over the last three years,” Chambers said.
That included:
● Replacing the oldest portion of the building, which is the three story, 1921 portion
● Creating a safe loading/unloading zone for the busses
● Effectively managing the storm water
● Creating a safe and positive learning environment for the students, staff and community
● Connecting the buildings to keep children safe in one building
● A safe entry
On Jan. 11, 2023, Chambers and Ruppert presented the board with an adjusted plan.
“It is believed the change in scope suggested by Tim will bring the bids in at a level that the district can afford for this project,” Chambers said. “The Board decided to move forward with the scope changes as presented.”
The plan then went in front of engineers at HSR Associates, which identified an issue with potential snow load on the old building due to difference in heights of the surrounding roofs. They devised a solution that was presented to the Buildings and Ground Committee on Jan. 25.
“After a healthy discussion and some adjustments, it was decided to move forward with the plan,” Chambers said. “The revised plan includes reducing the square footage of the new building while retaining a portion of the 1938 building. The duration of the project will be shortened from roughly 21 months to roughly 14 months. The project will now be completed in a single phase as opposed to a two-phase approach.”
Chambers said the project will still meet the main objectives outlined in the referendum, while staying within the budget available.
“Ultimately the community will have a new section and a remodeled portion of the facilities that will serve the students, staff and community well,” he said.