Board tables decision on $93,000 insulation alternate for middle school roof after payback concerns

The Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6 Board of Education on Monday tabled consideration of an approximately $93,000 insulation alternate to a recently accepted middle school roof bid after members questioned the contractor’s energy assumptions and expected payback period.

Board members said the vendor’s worksheet appeared to use total building electric consumption rather than heating-specific usage, producing an unusually long payback estimate. One board member summarized the concern by saying the insulation’s present numbers suggested decades-long payback instead of the 10–20 years the vendor’s recommendation implied.

Staff told the board the insulation alternate was included as a recommended item by the contractor’s engineers and that the contractor’s worksheet referenced an energy-savings model from the U.S. Department of Energy. Board members said they could not reconcile the worksheet’s assumptions with the district’s known energy use and asked staff to seek corrected calculations and a clearer breakdown of heating- versus total-energy savings.

The board voted to table the insulation alternate pending the contractor’s response; no final procurement decision was made and the base roof work previously approved remains unchanged. The chair said staff would attempt to reach the bidder and, if the vendor provides revised figures, the board could consider a special meeting or revisit the item at the next regular meeting.

The action leaves the previously accepted base bid in place while the board evaluates whether adding insulation is a cost-effective investment of district funds.