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Commissioners award $1.89M Wharton Elementary roof as school-funding questions linger
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Summary
Kent County commissioners voted to award a $1,894,458 contract to Apex Construction for Wharton Elementary’s roof replacement and discussed uncertainty over a previously cited $8 million state preauthorization and a lost 5% age-based state adjustment after a maintenance assessment of the middle school. County staff said the roof work should start in early April.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted to award a $1,894,458 contract to Apex Construction for the roof replacement at Wharton Elementary School.
Craig Kirby, director of finance for Kent County Public Schools, told commissioners the district received five responsive bids and that Apex submitted the low bid. The board moved to award the contract, the motion was seconded, and the measure carried on a voice vote.
The board’s discussion about the roof was folded into a broader conversation about school funding. Commissioners and school leaders said they remain uncertain about a previously reported $8 million preauthorization that staff had believed would support a future replacement school project.
Craig Kirby said the county had been unable to obtain confirmation that the $8 million preauthorization remains in place and that county staff are continuing to ask state contacts and the local legislative delegation for clarity. He also explained that a state maintenance assessment placed the county’s middle school on a cycle that yielded a score of 66.62; the state requires a 70% score to qualify for an additional 5% age-based funding adjustment, and as a result the county currently does not qualify for that extra 5 percent.
Kittening the funding math, staff described a preliminary estimate for a potential replacement school of about $68 million; with the apparent loss of the $8 million preauthorization, local share estimates would rise to roughly $30 million, Kirby said, adding that the worksheet with the Interagency Commission for School Construction (IAC) remains preliminary.
Commissioners and the superintendent emphasized that the Wharton roof was necessary regardless of the building’s longer-term use. Kirby said contractors anticipate beginning work in early April, with an approximate eight-week schedule and a goal of completion by summer.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the Wharton Elementary roof contract to Apex Construction by voice vote during the meeting.
