The Lewis Central School Board approved construction and repair bids and heard a detailed facilities update July 21, including a public hearing on a proposed high school safety vestibule and parking-area work.

The board voted to award the high school safety vestibule addition and renovation contract to Elevate Construction for $1,355,948, below the project estimate the district had circulated. Trustees also approved repair work for the high school “black box” HVAC system, a track maintenance contract and the district’s radon mitigation plan.

During a public hearing on Iowa Code 26.12 for the public improvement project, district staff said engineer estimates had placed the building portion of the vestibule at about $1.5 million and that repaving/parking adjustments had been budgeted previously at roughly $200,000; together the staff described an all-in figure near $1.7 million. Architects provided construction drawings and the board authorized the bid specifications for formal bidding.

“Here is the schedule of drawings. It's essentially what it's gonna look like, and it will add a new entrance and a safety vestibule,” a district presenter said during the hearing. The plans call for a separate visitor entrance and renovations to existing office space; staff said arrival and dismissal procedures for major traffic periods would not change but in-day visitor access would route through the new vestibule.

Facilities staff provided a campus-wide construction update. At the high school, paving of the large new lot is essentially complete, sidewalks were scheduled to be poured and striping planned near the end of the week. Roofing work and rooftop-unit replacements are finished or near finish; a new chiller and three large air handlers have started and were reported to be cooling the building, with fine-tuning of controls still underway. The weight room renovation was complete and equipment deliveries were scheduled.

Tennis-court work progressed but staff said a new requirement from the city could force flood-plain testing the project team had not previously performed. Facilities staff warned that the added testing could delay tennis-court completion by three to six months and add an estimated $10,000–$20,000 in costs.

On mechanical systems, the board approved a $31,077.61 repair contract with Trane to address problems in the black-box HVAC (reported coil material and installation issues dating to post-construction warranties). The board also approved an $80,680 contract with Midwest Tennis and Track Co. for track maintenance; staff described that maintenance as a restorative treatment designed to extend the existing track surface by roughly eight to ten years.

The board adopted a district radon mitigation plan that directs staff to test district buildings on a five-year schedule and to post all results on the district website; the plan, which follows state rules, sets Kreft and Titan Hill for initial fall testing and the middle school and high school for follow-up tests. Facilities staff later moved to test the middle school earlier, so that any mitigation required could be combined with a planned renovation next year and reduce rework.

Several smaller projects were reported as complete or nearing completion: Kreft and Titan Hill playground replacements with staggered completion dates; LED lighting upgrades at multiple buildings; weight-room equipment installation; opening portions of the new parking lot to administrative staff and the planned security (Raptor) visitor-management system. The board heard that the Kreft secure entrance was installed and expected to be operational within about a week of the meeting.

Board action summary: the board approved the high school vestibule bid to Elevate Construction for $1,355,948 (seven bids were received), approved the Trane black-box HVAC repair contract for $31,077.61, accepted Midwest Tennis and Track Co.'s $80,680 track maintenance bid, and adopted the radon mitigation plan. The Titan Hill exterior envelope and doorframe design contract with BCDM for $47,765 was also approved.

Next steps and follow-up: Facilities staff will pursue required flood-plain testing with the city; move forward on paving, striping and striping schedules; coordinate HVAC controls fine-tuning and warranty follow-up; and schedule radon testing. Staff asked the board to expect continued updates and to plan a walkthrough of completed projects before the start of school.

Clarifying details: The public hearing referenced Iowa Code 26.12. Staff gave an estimated all-in cost for the vestibule/parking work at approximately $1.7 million. Facilities reported a potential extra cost of $10,000–$20,000 and a three- to six-month delay if the city requires additional flood-plain testing for the tennis courts.