District 62 approves building demolition, paving and transportation contracts

The District 62 Board of Education voted April 21 to award three contracts: demolition of the building at 1717 Grand Road, summer parking-lot paving at multiple school sites, and one-year single-student and small-group transportation service agreements.

Board members approved the demolition contract after staff reported competitive bidding and a recommended vendor. “There were 7 bids received,” a staff member said while describing the bid opening and vetting process. The board approved the recommendation to award the work to National Wrecking Company in the amount of $134,000.

The board also approved summer paving work for several lots, awarding the base scope plus Alternate 1 to Manibal Construction Company Inc. for $465,184 as presented. Facilities staff said they received eight bids and described the alternate work as replacing gravel under the asphalt in places where the subbase requires extra attention.

Separately, the board approved one-year agreements for single-student and small-group transportation services with three firms commonly used by the district: American Taxi, City Care and Ever Driven. Staff described these as standing agreements to secure pricing and capacity for students with individual needs, including some who are medically fragile or who are served under McKinney-Vento protocols.

All three items were presented by district operations staff and carried on roll-call votes. The motions were moved and seconded on the floor before each roll call.

Votes at a glance - Demolition, 1717 Grand Road: contract awarded to National Wrecking Company for $134,000. Outcome: approved (roll call; ayes recorded). Referenced bid opening April 10, seven bids received. - Summer paving: contract awarded to Manibal Construction Company Inc. for base scope and Alternate 1 for $465,184. Outcome: approved (roll call; ayes recorded). Bid opening April 9; eight bids received; low bids described as competitive. - Single-student and small-group transportation services: one-year approvals for American Taxi, City Care and Ever Driven. Outcome: approved (roll call; ayes recorded). Staff described the contracts as intended to stabilize pricing and ensure availability for students with specialized needs.

Discussion and context District staff told the board the demolition property had been acquired within the past year and had been used recently by emergency services for training; removing the building will return the site to open space. For paving, staff emphasized that taking time to replace subgrade material can lengthen the life of a lot, and that the alternate scope addressed those subgrade repairs. On transportation, staff framed the approvals as risk-management measures to lock in service pricing and capacity rather than a long-term exclusive contract.

The motions as presented did not include substantive amendments. Staff noted minor permitting work remained for the demolition contract and estimated a start in May with completion in June.

Ending Board members did not request additional publicly posted materials beyond the contract award amounts and the bid-opening summaries presented at the meeting. Where staff gave a future timeline, they described permit or scheduling steps that could affect start dates.