Union County Public Schools facilities committee recommends multiple school construction and vehicle bids to full board

The Union County Public Schools Facilities Committee on Jan. 22 voted to forward multiple procurement recommendations to the full Board of Education, including vehicle purchases and HVAC equipment replacements at Marvin Ridge High School, Western Union Elementary, Parkwood High School and partition-wall work at two elementary schools.

The recommendations matter because they move significant maintenance and capital work toward contract and construction: the committee recorded committee votes (each 3-0) to send the bids to the full board for approval and discussed budget impacts, construction timing and scope changes.

McManus, a facilities staff member, told the committee the district received two vehicle bids on Jan. 8 and recommended the quote from Piedmont Trucks under the sheriff’s association contract for a combined total of $515,671.90. "In front of you ... you have, basically 2 bids, 1 for truck replacements and 1 for van replacements," McManus said. The committee voted unanimously to send the vehicle bid recommendation to the full board.

On HVAC work at Marvin Ridge High School, McManus said bids were received on Jan. 7 with seven contractors participating and described Superior Mechanical as the lowest responsive bidder. He said the FY25 Capital Improvement Plan budgeted approximately $2.6 million for the project and staff allowed a scope change that removed a proposed cooling tower to match the existing chiller footprint and reduce cost. McManus said the project is expected to begin preparatory work in summer 2025 and "be ready to go before the end of this calendar year, 2025." The transcript listed Superior Mechanical's low bid as $1,799,000,000; the committee discussion and the FY25 budget context strongly indicate the intended bid amount was $1,799,000 (the transcript contained extra zeros). The committee voted 3-0 to recommend the Superior Mechanical bid to the full board.

For Western Union Elementary, McManus said four contractors submitted bids on Jan. 9 and the lowest responsive bid came from Digital in the amount of $806,680. He said that figure exceeded the school's original budget of roughly $300,000 because code changes in HVAC and electrical, and an underground piping leak found during investigation, made relocation of an existing chiller infeasible. The committee voted 3-0 to forward the Western Union recommendation to the full board.

Parkwood High School's rooftop-unit replacement drew five bids opened Jan. 14; Facility System Services submitted the lowest bid, $208,522. McManus said that bid was roughly $10,000–$15,000 under budget and that work would begin after full-board approval and be completed so the system is fully operational by the following winter. The committee voted 3-0 to recommend that bid.

The committee also recommended to the full board replacement of original partition walls (folding/sliding walls between cafeterias and gyms) at Fairview Elementary and Porter Ridge Elementary. Staff obtained three bids on Jan. 7; the lowest came in at $190,680 and the committee voted to forward the recommendation 3-0.

In informational updates, staff said the district’s bond-funded construction projects remain on schedule and within budget. For the East Union renovation (the former Forest Hills High School), the district received 10 RFQ submittals for a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) contract, narrowed the list and will interview four shortlisted teams. Staff also said schematic-design work is under way with the architect DLR and offered to present design schematics at the February meeting.

Facilities staff reported a preliminary, routine inquiry from the town of Marshall about annexing a small portion of land at the East Union site that currently remains in unincorporated Union County; staff said they are searching old surveys and deeds to clarify how the parcel was recorded. The committee did not take action on the annexation — staff described it as a heads-up to the committee.

The meeting closed with an administrative note that the next Facilities Committee meeting is scheduled for Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. via Zoom.

Votes at a glance: the Facilities Committee recorded committee votes (each 3-0) to send the following recommendations to the full Board of Education for approval: - Vehicle purchases (Piedmont Trucks), total $515,671.90 — recommend forward (vote: 3-0). - Marvin Ridge High School chiller replacement (Superior Mechanical), low bid stated in transcript with extra zeros; corrected to $1,799,000 based on budget context — recommend forward (vote: 3-0). - Western Union Elementary chiller replacement (Digital), low bid $806,680 — recommend forward (vote: 3-0). - Parkwood High School RTU replacement (Facility System Services), low bid $208,522 — recommend forward (vote: 3-0). - Partition wall replacement at Fairview Elementary and Porter Ridge Elementary (Complete Partition Repair), low bid $190,680 — recommend forward (vote: 3-0).

Committee discussion emphasized budget comparisons to the FY25 Capital Improvement Plan, the impact of recent HVAC/electrical code changes on retrofit feasibility, and construction timing tied to long vendor lead times and school-year schedules.