Tahlequah board approves armory remodel contract, insurance agreements and adopts state-mandated cell‑phone rule; bond vote set for Sept. 9

The Tahlequah Public Schools Board of Education on a series of unanimous motions on the meeting’s consent calendar approved a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $1,431,166.66 for the armory renovation, accepted new district insurance arrangements and approved policy revisions to implement House Bill 1087’s "bell-to-bell" ban on student cellphones for the coming school year. Superintendent Tanya Jones also told the board a bond election set for Sept. 9 will include just over $1 million for upgrades to the district’s performing arts center.

The decisions were part of a longer agenda that included routine approvals — minutes, monthly financials, personnel hires and contracts — and several votes to renew leases and designate authorized signers for federal claims. Board members recorded aye votes on each item during roll calls shown in the meeting record.

The armory renovation: scope and contract

The board approved the guaranteed maximum price of $1,431,166.66 for the armory remodel, accepting the base bid plus alternate 3 from the district’s construction contractor. Ryan, the Trigon project representative who presented scope details, described the project as an interior renovation of much of the building (the theater area was excluded from the current scope) plus exterior work including power washing, tuckpointing, window replacement (five exterior windows identified) and canopy repairs. He said building-code requirements triggered a more costly fire separation in one corridor: because the theater-adjacent spaces are not in a sprinklered building, the renovation must create a two‑hour-rated separation wall and bring some areas up to ADA standards, which increased cost.

The board packet and discussion indicate the selected GMP includes that required separation work, new restrooms near the west entry with full ADA turning radii, and other repairs intended to protect the interior investment. District staff said the GMP reflects updated contractor…