It’s back to the drawing board for the Poplar Bluff R1 School District’s plans for a new administrative building downtown.
Based on the total bid price of $5.9 million to complete the building as planned, the school board rejected the bids, putting the timeframe and completion of the project in limbo.
“This price does not make sense for the district or the community,” said Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill in recommending that the board reject the bids.
Dill said that one of the major factors was that today’s costs were double what was estimated at the beginning of the project.
Michael Pollard of Dille-Pollard Architecture explained that a significant part of the cost is tied into needed structural repairs, which must be completed before the building could be used for any kind of occupancy.
“The masonry structure is currently insufficient to support further construction,” Pollard said. “These improvements must be done to meet seismic requirements.”
Pollard suggested that the board consider moving forward in the near future with the structural improvements, along with replacing the roof, in order to prevent any further deterioration from its current state.
Based on the bids, structural repairs and a new roof were estimated to cost $1,457,000.
Dill and the board further discussed a phased construction plan over several years that would not put undue stress on the district’s capital improvements budget.
In voting down the bids, the board is likely to reconsider a new plan for the building in the future, but it is difficult to estimate at this point when the district will be moving its offices downtown.
During the superintendent’s report, Dill opened a discussion on school safety, which was prompted by concerns from parents in the wake of recent school shootings across the nation.
“The concerns of the community are not falling on deaf ears,” Dill said.
He mentioned a number of possible security measures that have been suggested, from installing bulletproof glass in windows to hiring additional security officers.
Dill said that the school district does not have the financial resources to take all necessary steps to further ensure school security. He suggested the district consider advocating for a city and county school security tax that would provide additional funds for new security measures.
Board member Larry Kimbrow, who made school security the center of his recent campaign, suggested a safety study led by law enforcement professionals from Poplar Bluff, Butler County, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, followed by public hearings to see what would be most effective.
Earlier in the meeting, the board approved the renewal of the School Resource Officer Program Guide for officers at the High School, Junior High, and Middle School. Dill pointed out later that the cost of an SRO is equivalent to the salary of about 2.5 teachers.
In other business, faculty and staff received a raise for the next school year as the board, in its first meeting with newly elected members, approved an additional step on the teacher salary schedule and a $500 increase to the base.
A comparable salary increase to the classified salary schedule for non-teaching staff will also take effect in the next fiscal school year.
“This will increase our ability to attract the best candidates for open positions,” Dill said. “We want to be the destination school for teachers in southeast Missouri.”
The board also approved a 5% increase in health insurance costs for district personnel for all available plans under the current self-insurance plan. Costs for dental and life insurance will not change, while vision coverage will see a 39-cent decrease in premiums.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dill recognized high school senior Abigail Murphy as the recipient of the John T. Belcher Memorial Scholarship. Murphy will use the scholarship next year at the University of Missouri, where she plans to major in Film Studies.
In ongoing construction projects, the board approved the final payment of $26,700 to CE Norton Construction for the Senior High Concession & Restroom Project. The new concession area is nearly complete and will be ready for fall sports this year.
The board also approved the next payment for the Junior High School Activity Center to CE Norton Construction, equalling about $187,000. That project is also on track to be ready for use this fall.
Buffington Brothers was awarded the High School HVAC Replacement Bids for almost $173,200. This project will replace the remaining units from the original 5th & 6th Grade Center that were not changed out during the conversion to the current High School.
The Non-Resident Tuition rate of $11,700 for the 2023-24 school year was approved in compliance with state regulations regarding out-of-district students. No students currently attend from outside the PBR1 district.
The board also approved 10 temporary positions for summer painting projects throughout the district’s facilities. These positions will be promoted internally to offer employment to district staff who ordinarily do not work through the summer.
Board members discussed the Junior High Softball Program addition as a spring sport for seventh- and eighth-grade girls. The board decided to delay action on this item to give Junior High staff time to survey student interest and parental support for a new team.
Jon McKinney, Director of Transportation, informed the board that all 49 buses inspected recently by the Missouri State Highway Patrol were approved as meeting the standards for service.
McKinney also said that the two new Blue Bird buses approved last month have been ordered and are scheduled to be put into service in either late September or early October this year.