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Cuba City School District nears final FEMA review for school safety project; pre-award could fund design work
Summary
Superintendent reported progress on a FEMA facility grant RFI with 17 attachments and a 40-page summary; the district discussed a possible pre-award that would allow architectural drawings to proceed but could require a circa $120,000 pre-design outlay.
The Cuba City School District told the board it is in the final stages of a FEMA facility grant review that would fund safety and facility work, and discussed whether to accept a pre-award that would allow architects to begin drawings before a final grant award.
Superintendent Aon reported the district submitted a detailed RFI with 17 attachments and a 40-page summary and said the FEMA review team asked for a short additional period to complete its evaluation. Staff said the consultant working with the district expects a clear pre-award decision at a meeting scheduled the following week.
The board discussed the practical trade-offs of allowing architects to begin drawings on a pre-award basis. Administrators noted preliminary drawing work could cost in the order of $120,000; if the final grant were not awarded, the district would carry that expense. Staff reported that, to date, few districts have reached this phase without ultimately receiving the FEMA award, but emphasized the financial risk if circumstances changed.
If the project moves forward, staff outlined an approximate timeline: finalize award, produce construction drawings (about one month), advertise and receive bids (about one month), then schedule construction based on contractor availability; best-case ground-breaking was described as as early as March, with more conservative timing into spring. The district also discussed coordination with architects to ensure drawings meet FEMA specifications and any revision required to previously prepared designs.
Board members asked whether the outcome of the Nov. 5 referendum would affect the grant timeline; staff said FEMA’s process and the district’s pre-award progress are separate but that the district must evaluate financial exposure before authorizing pre-award work. The board requested staff seek clarifying language from FEMA about what the district could say publicly and to report back after the next FEMA meeting.
