The Clay County Board of Education voted Jan. 15 to award the Hermitage Springs School window-replacement contract to King Construction Group after reviewing three bids and architect recommendations. The board approved the award on a motion by Mr. Ashlock, seconded by Mr. Henson.

The district reported it received three bids — one unsigned and therefore invalid — and the architect, Allen Hill, recommended the apparent low bidder. Staff told the board the project was identified as a top priority in a recent homeland security assessment. District materials attached to the agenda show about $51,000 in grant funding available for the project; if the low bid is accepted the district would fund the remaining estimated general-fund portion of about $96,003.36.

Board members discussed bid differences and noted some line-item options (base bid and alternates) that could affect the final price. A member asked whether some options (for example double-paned units) explained an approximately $30,000 difference among bids; staff said that the bids followed the architect’s specifications and that age and structural conditions of parts of the building can change cost estimates.

No construction start date or contract timeline was specified during the discussion. Staff said the work will address large-area glass that previously exposed students and that replacing those openings is intended to reduce exposure and address security concerns.

The motion to award the contract passed after the vote; the board did not record detailed roll-call tallies in the spoken record captured in the transcript.

The next procedural step is for staff to finalize contract paperwork and return to the board with any necessary budget transfer or contract documents for execution.