Oak Grove R‑VI board approves parking‑lot change order after extended debate over soils, Spire charges and a $747,000 retention proposal

The Oak Grove R‑VI Board of Education on Tuesday approved Change Order No. 2 to complete parking‑lot work but spent the bulk of its meeting examining larger project overruns, contractor bids and a proposed $747,000 change involving underground stormwater retention.

Board members voted to accept the parking‑lot change order, which the district staff described as the final work to backfill and prepare the lot for striping. The immediate change order for the parking‑lot backfill and related items totaled $14,195.86 after a credit for declining to sod and a separate $2,000 line for restriping stencils.

Why it matters: the discussion exposed larger project management questions — incomplete soils testing, how bids were priced, whether contractors inspected sites before bidding, and whether the district should change its internal thresholds for board review of change orders. The board also discussed pursuing reimbursement from Spire for an earlier gas‑line relocation that contributed to unexpected costs.

Board concerns and contractor response

Jacob Ross, a project representative with FSG, told the board the parking‑lot work was fast‑tracked and that soils testing occurred later than ideal because the district split the original project into phases. "We decided that we would break out this parking lot just due to staging issues, and we knew we're going…