School board accepts $89,300 bid to remove asbestos at Highland Rim School

Lincoln County school board members voted to accept a recommended bid of $89,300 to remove asbestos from Highland Rim School.

Mister Bryant, who presented the bid package to the board, said two contractors returned bids and recommended the $89,300 proposal as the one he would take. "The bid for $89,300 is the one I would take," he said, outlining safety measures the contractor would use including plastic containment, negative air pressure and third‑party testing. Bryant told the board he had spoken with the bidder and that work could begin "right around Christmas break," though he cautioned the firm might need more than the break to finish depending on conditions such as mastic under tile.

Board members asked about timing and scope. Bryant estimated roughly 280 feet of insulated pipe would need attention and said the tile removal would likely be the most dusty work. He said the contractor estimated about four weeks to complete the work but noted that unknown conditions could extend that timeline. He also said the district uses Frost Environmental (Nashville) for required independent testing.

After brief discussion about phasing and minimizing student impact, the board moved to accept the bid and proceeded with a vote; members indicated approval.

The board did not identify the contractor by firm name during the presentation and did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript. The motion as reflected in meeting remarks was to accept the recommended bid and move forward with scheduling and testing logistics.

Next steps: staff will finalize the contract with the recommended contractor, confirm a start date around the winter break and schedule required third‑party air testing before reoccupying affected spaces.