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Board approves Chapman STEM middle school construction contract after low bid
Summary
Huntsville City Schools board approved a construction contract for the Chapman STEM Magnet Middle School after hearing a certified bid tab showing Lee Builders’ apparent low base bid of $57,964,908, well under the program budget. The board also approved routine consent items and facility-use agreements.
Huntsville City Schools’ board voted Dec. 16 to approve a construction contract for the Chapman STEM Magnet Middle School after the district’s certified bid tab identified Lee Builders Incorporated as the apparent low base bidder at $57,964,908.
The certified bid tab and draft contract were presented by a TCU representative, who said the district’s all-in program budget is $80,000,000 and the new school will total just over 161,000 square feet. The Alabama Division of Construction Management (DCM) requires announcing an identified construction budget to name the apparent low bidder; the DCM-announced figure for this procurement was $68,500,000. The presenter said the low bid came in more than $10 million below that announced number and attributed the result to competitive bidding and lower material prices, while confirming the program budget includes furniture, fixtures, equipment and professional services.
“Our total program budget, all inclusive, is $80,000,000 for a total square footage of the school being just over 161,000,” the TCU representative said. The presenter also noted that six prequalified general contractors submitted bids and that Lee Builders has previously built this campus and other district facilities.
Board members asked about timing and schedule. The presenter said a groundbreaking is planned for early January, with a two-year construction timeline and subsequent site work to replace the existing field and track after the new building is occupied. The district’s presentation described the procurement as routine and recommended approving the contract so the project can move forward.
Votes at a glance - Chapman STEM Magnet Middle School construction contract — motion moved and seconded; voice vote passed (recorded ayes included the Chair; motion recorded as carried). - Minutes (11/04/2025 work session; 11/18/2025 board meeting) — accepted as written. - Consent agenda (gifts to schools, bids) — approved. - Human resources report — approved. - Professional service agreement report — approved. - Facility use agreements with Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama and Heart of the Valley YMCA — approved.
Why it matters: The board’s approval clears a major capital project to construction procurement, establishing the district’s construction partner and moving the Chapman STEM Magnet Middle School toward a planned early-2026 groundbreaking. The construction budget, low-bid result and two-year timeline shape the project’s fiscal and schedule expectations for the district and community.
The board did not detail contingent actions or additional funding approvals at the meeting; the presentation noted DCM procedures for announcing budgets and identifying apparent low bidders. The district’s next procedural steps include finalizing the contract and beginning preconstruction activities ahead of the planned groundbreaking.
Provenance: The Chapman contract presentation and vote were discussed and recorded beginning with SEG 096 (certified bid tab presentation) and concluding with the formal vote recorded at SEG 277–SEG 288.
