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Board awards middle-school gym HVAC contract to Casper's Construction after debate over local bids
Summary
After discussion about local contracting and bid amounts, trustees rejected an initial low-bid recommendation and voted to award the HVAC installation at the middle-school gym to Casper's Construction with the mid-range bid; board discussed financing and summer timeline.
The Beatrice Board of Education awarded a contract for an HVAC system in the middle-school gym to Casper's Construction following a contested bidding process.
Board discussion outlined the procurement timeline: specifications were prepared after a site review, bids were advertised with a pre-bid meeting on Feb. 19 and sealed bids due March 5. Jason summarized that three contractors submitted bids ranging from about $308,006.33 (low) up to approximately $340,134.35 (high). The district’s initial recommendation to accept the low bid was not accepted; trustees expressed a preference to keep work local when feasible.
A subsequent motion to award the bid to Casper's Construction, the mid-range bidder (motion text in the meeting cited approximately $324,923), passed. Jason said the equipment and gas hookup costs were higher than originally estimated and recommended funding from a combination of building and general funds and possibly depreciation funds; he also said work is planned to begin after school dismisses and to be substantially complete by mid‑July, noting that summer gym availability will be affected.
Why it matters: the project brings permanent air conditioning to the middle-school gym for the first time and requires coordination with summer activities and local subcontractors.
What’s next: staff will finalize contract paperwork, coordinate subcontracting and notify user groups about summer impacts.
