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Board approves guaranteed maximum prices for three school lobby/entrance reconfigurations; appoints representative to Article 39 Capital Fund commission
Summary
The board authorized construction managers at risk to proceed with entrance and lobby reconfigurations at three Buncombe County Schools and appointed Kim Plemons as the district representative to the county Article 39 school capital fund commission.
The Buncombe County Board of Education approved guaranteed maximum prices and authorized construction managers at risk to proceed with entrance and lobby reconfiguration projects at three schools and named Kim Plemons to represent the board on the county's Article 39 School Capital Fund Commission.
For Enka High School, the board accepted a guaranteed maximum price and authorized the construction manager at risk to proceed. The superintendent read the GMP amount as $1,454,081 (stated in the meeting as "$1,454,000 and $81"); the board approved the motion. The board also approved GMPs and authorization to proceed for Johnston Elementary School and North Windy Ridge Intermediate School; the GMP amounts for those two projects were presented as part of the consent/action agenda but not specified aloud during the meeting record.
Board discussion emphasized safety as a primary reason for lobby reconfiguration. A board member described experiencing updated vestibule entrances at other schools and said, "keeping kids safe is one of my very top priorities." District staff told the board the projects were within previously allocated Article 39 capital funds and that the timing aimed to minimize disruption by scheduling work to largely occur over summer break.
The board also nominated and approved Kim Plemons to serve as the Buncombe County Schools representative on the county's school capital fund commission (Article 39 commission). A board member explained Article 39 is a dedicated sales tax (county-level) restricted to school capital projects.
Why it matters: The approved projects use Article 39 facilities funds dedicated for school capital improvements; the vestibule-style entrance reconfigurations are intended to strengthen building security and control public access to school buildings. The appointment to the Article 39 commission gives the board direct representation in decisions about county capital fund allocations.
Next steps: The construction managers will proceed with procurement and construction scheduling. District staff will coordinate to limit disruption to school operations and report back on schedule and construction milestones.
