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Board awards more than $8 million in contracts for new high school; geothermal system approved
Summary
The Galena City School District Board of Education voted unanimously to award multiple construction contracts for the new high school, including a $1.57 million geothermal well contract, and rejected a specialty folding-glass system, the board said during its March meeting.
The Galena City School District Board of Education voted unanimously to award a series of construction contracts this meeting, advancing the district’s high school building project and approving a $1.57 million geothermal well system.
District staff presented 22 separate bid awards for trades and site work tied to the new high school. Major approvals included a general trades contract with Kojah Construction Inc. for $2,521,677; a geothermal well system contract with TCI Geothermal for $1,570,000; roofing work with Jim Eazy Commercial Roofing Inc. for $820,600; and multiple specialized contracts for flooring, ceilings, metal framing, and mechanical work. The board also approved site utilities, site concrete and landscaping contracts, and athletic equipment and scoreboard purchases.
Administrators told the board that after value engineering and package-by-package bidding the overall project remained slightly over the most recent estimate. They said earnings from bond proceeds held in certificates of deposit will cover roughly the remaining overage rather than drawing additional operating reserves.
The board also voted to reject a separate bid for a NanoWall folding-glass system previously included in the design; the campus will instead use a fixed glazing and storefront system in those locations. The rejection was presented as a cost-driven design change and was approved unanimously.
Votes on individual packages were taken in sequence. Several examples recorded in the meeting minutes and roll calls include: - General trades (Bid 006A) to Kojah Construction Inc., $2,521,677 — approved unanimously. - Roofing (Bid 007A) to Jim Eazy Commercial Roofing Inc., $820,600 — approved unanimously. - Aluminum/glass and glazing (Bid 008A) to Zephyr Aluminum Products Inc., $639,018 — approved unanimously; the related NanoWall system (Bid 008B, $89,350) was rejected. - Metal framing and drywall (Bid 009A) to Kojah Construction — $780,457 — approved unanimously. - Acoustic ceiling, tile, terrazzo, athletic floor, and other interior finish packages were awarded to vendors listed in the board packet; all were approved by roll call votes. - Geothermal well system (Bid 023B) to TCI Geothermal — $1,570,000 — approved unanimously.
District officials said two remaining packages (epoxy flooring and elevator) will be re-bid and considered at a future meeting.
Why it matters: The awards move the high school construction forward to active construction phases (site work, shell and interior finishes). The geothermal contract is a significant component of the mechanical plan and will affect long-term operating costs and building systems. Using bond proceeds and interest earnings to cover the bid shortfall avoids drawing on the district’s general operating reserves, district staff said.
The board’s formal roll-call approvals and the rejection of the NanoWall bid were recorded during the meeting.
Provenance: The board’s discussion of the project, contract awards, the NanoWall rejection and the geothermal award were recorded in the meeting transcript beginning around the section where staff introduced the remaining bid packages and continued through the roll-call votes concluding the construction agenda.
