Warren Local declares emergency, hires design‑builder for archery building

The Warren Local Board of Education on Aug. 28 unanimously declared an emergency for the district’s Archery Building Project and authorized the superintendent and treasurer to negotiate and execute an agreement with Wolf Creek Contracting Company, LLC to serve as the project’s design‑builder.

The action, taken under the emergency exception in Ohio Revised Code Section 153.71(B)(3), authorizes preconstruction services in the amount of $36,500. The board’s resolution said bids for three of five scopes solicited for the project came in over budget and an anticipated donation of work did not materialize, creating significant delay and a budget shortfall that the administration said required immediate action.

Board members voted in favor of the resolution. The administration described the design‑build approach as a way to consolidate planning, design and construction management under a single contract to help control costs and keep the project on schedule. The resolution directs the superintendent and treasurer to execute the necessary documents to effect the agreement and moves the district toward finalizing a guaranteed maximum price through the design‑build process.

The board record does not show a dollar amount beyond the $36,500 preconstruction authorization for Wolf Creek; it also does not list a final guaranteed maximum price or an expected project completion date. The resolution stated the board previously solicited bids and that three scopes came in over budget, but it did not include detailed bid tabulations or the originally anticipated donation amount.

The board’s action was procedural and immediate: the resolution finds an emergency exists and grants authority to the administration to negotiate and sign agreements to advance the project. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 25, 2025, where any contract progress or further details are likely to be reported.