Wednesday, March 15, 2000
Board approves plan for school
Highlands Middle to total nearly $15M
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT THOMAS — A plan for the new Highlands Middle School was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Fort Thomas Board of Education.
The board approved a base bid package of $11,650,000 for construction, masonry, electrical work and other structural amenities. Additional options, equipment and computers, a project manager and financing brought the total to just under $15 million.
State must approve
The accepted bids and construction plans must now be approved by the state Education Department. Construction will begin this spring. The building is expected to open in August 2001.
“I think we've spent enough time discussing these items,” board member Ken Honchell said. “This is a big important project.”
Two cite pressure
Yet board members Steve Kimball and Brad Fennell said they were unhappy with the process. The board was under pressure to approve bids Monday to meet a deadline to receive $2 million in state funding.
Some of the bids were not received until Monday afternoon, giving board members little time to review some of the options.
A delay in approval would have pushed the project back to July 1.
Bonding potential
The district has $14.2 million in bonding potential, or the ability to borrow money. It will use almost all of that to finance construction of the school.
The middle school will be a three-story brick and stone structure for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. It will also have a cafeteria and gym.
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