Bremen Public Schools board approves lowest bid for Bremen High secure entrance, trims planned kitchens to meet bond budget

The Bremen Public Schools board voted to accept the district's lowest construction bid to add a secure front entrance at Bremen High School after removing two proposed kitchens and a specialized 'facts' area to bring the project within the bond budget.

The presenter told the board that materials from Barton Coe were provided and that the district received five bids; the lowest bidder's name appears with several spellings in the transcript. The presenter said the contractor agreed to several alternates, including completing concrete walks to the building and adding two single restrooms for students with special needs, and to remove the two kitchens and the specialized area from the scope to reduce cost.

A board member framed the change as a budget-driven prioritization: "The two kitchens were supposed to be redone; that was taken out because the purpose of this project was a secure entrance to the high school," the board member said. The board member and other participants also noted that some students who need advanced culinary facilities attend the Elkhart Career Center, reducing the immediate need for two full new kitchens on site.

A district staff member outlined expenditures to date: "We've spent money already ' $350,000," the staff member said, describing design fees, bond issuance costs, financial adviser and legal fees, and the architect contract. The transcript records an architect contract value of $287,000; presenters said the design phase is complete and remaining funds would primarily fund construction management on site.

Board members repeatedly prioritized the security upgrade over kitchen work. "If we're prioritizing the security of the elementary front entrance, I think it makes sense to do security at the high school as well," one board member said, noting the current entrance configuration gives broad internal access once someone enters.

The presenter recommended accepting the lowest bid. The board moved, seconded and recorded the vote as "all in favor." The meeting minutes show the motion passed; the transcript does not record mover/second names or a numeric roll-call tally.

Next steps: the board approved the contract award to the lowest bidder as recorded and adjourned the meeting. The contract start date and exact contractor name require confirmation because the transcript contains multiple spellings of the bidder's name.