The Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education voted at Thursday's meeting to withhold payment from K&S Construction pending further review of pay requests submitted Oct. 20 to Nov. 30.
The pay requests are for construction work done at the high school and additional warranty work on athletic facilities, specifically the tennis courts. Despite much back and forth with representatives from the company, board members are still unsure whether or not K&S completed the work to the specifications with which it was provided.
Board of Education President John Scott said he would prefer more time to review the pay requests and thinks the district should "be cautious" moving forward.
"We have spent some time on this and we've met with district counsel for this issue. I think given the scope of the project and some of the issues we've had, it would be my one board member position to table these items until next month so that we have an opportunity to study them closer," said Scott, who is a local attorney.
The struggle with K&S Construction began during the summer when board members asked if the bare hillside at the football stadium was completed to specifications outlined by Smith and Co. Resulting issues from the muddy hillside included standing water on the track after heavy rains, leaving it regularly covered in a dried layer of mud.
Representatives from K&S Construction, Smith and Co., and Ittner Architects attended Septembers's board meeting. Billy Cobb from Smith and Co. said K&S did not build the stadium to the specifications he wrote. K&S agreed to rework the hillside to Smith and Co.'s specifications for a reduced price to the district. There is still a question to whether or not the resulting work is correct.
"It's been a little bumpy," Scott continued. "It's a huge project. K&S has been paid a ton of money and this is a relatively small portion of what they're entitled to and I feel like we should be very careful and very cautious moving forward with them."
It was also determined the school district will seek bids for several planned maintenance projects after the board gave administrators the green light to begin the process.
The projects include roof repairs at the Oak Grove Elementary and Poplar Bluff Middle School campuses, an extensive kitchen renovation at Oak Grove, and a window wall upgrade at Lake Road Elementary.
The combined anticipated cost for all projects is almost $1 million, with nearly half of that dedicated to Oak Grove's kitchen remodel. All expenses were accounted for in the 2018 budget by Asst. Superintendent of Finance Rod Priest, which received board approval in June. Priest scheduled $406,000 for roof repairs, $84,000 for window wall updates, and $463,000 for the kitchen remodel.
According to district superintendent Scott Dill, Oak Grove's kitchen is in dire need of renovation. Built in 1954, it is too small to efficiently serve the student body. In response to rising enrollment numbers throughout the years, several additions have been made campus-wide, but the kitchen remains in its original form.
Other projects still on the to-do list include bleachers in the junior high's FEMA building, a district-wide telecommunication upgrade, and relocation of classes from the out-building into the lower gym at the junior high.
Board members approved property and liability insurance renewal with additional cyber coverage from the Missouri United School Insurance Council for $698,519. Coverage will span from Dec. 31 through Dec. 31, 2018. Proposed bids for Title I media equipment were approved for $89,459.22. Approval of handbook changes were also approved concerning dual credit fees and the high school's Flex Plan initiative.
Christmas break is scheduled for Dec. 20-Jan. 3. The next Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Central Office Board Room.