Edmond school board authorizes $63 million bond sale, awards site-work contract and approves insurance renewals and hiring bonus

The Edmond Public Schools Board of Education on Monday approved a resolution to begin the sale process for the final $63,000,000 authorized by voters in the Feb. 13, 2024 bond election, awarded a site-work contract for Edmond Santa Fe’s Freshman Academy, approved multiple insurance policies for 2025–26, and authorized a special-education hiring bonus for the 2025–26 school year.

The board voted to begin the formal bond sale process. Zach Robinson of BOK, the district’s bond adviser, told the board this action starts the required sale steps for the remaining $63 million and that the bonds will be structured with principal maturing in four installments of $15,750,000 in years two through five (no principal in year one because of the state levy law). Robinson said bids will be due at 9:30 a.m. on July 10, with bond sale results presented at the board’s July meeting.

The board also approved awarding a subcontract package for site work at Edmond Santa Fe’s Freshman Academy. The approved amount for the site subcontractors under the construction manager was $1,552,958 to be paid from bond funds. District staff said the package covers demolition and underground utilities; they reported the project must relocate a previously unknown 60-inch pipe that carries neighborhood water feeds and that the district will be responsible for that relocation. Staff said the district shifted some bond dollars to cover the unexpected work and aims to complete that phase by September to minimize neighborhood impacts.

On staffing, the board approved a memorandum of understanding to provide a one-time special-education hiring bonus for the 2025–26 school year, an initiative the district used last year after a large shortage. Superintendent Delich and staff told the board the district currently faces about an 18-position shortage in special education.…