Board tables auxiliary parking and spring-remediation change order for new high school after questions on bids and engineering

The Woodford County Public Schools board on Sept. 22 paused two decisions tied to its new high school — a proposed auxiliary parking pad expected to add about 100 spaces and a $76,243 change order to remediate a groundwater spring beneath the visitor/bus loop.

Mr. Reed, principal of Woodford County High School, told the board the campus currently has "135 spots allocated for staff, 279 spots for students, and that leaves us 17 spots for visitors on any given day," and described a student wait list. He and administrators proposed creating a gravel overflow pad behind the student lot to relieve parking pressure for students and event visitors.

The proposal drew questions about procurement, surfacing and long-term maintenance. "Blacktop would be significantly, significantly more — probably pushing the $200,000-plus price point," Mr. Smith said when the board asked about paving alternatives; board members asked staff to obtain at least two more quotes and to explore a mixed-surface used elsewhere in the county.

Separately, staff presented a change order to address a spring that has re-emerged in the parking and parent/bus loop area. The recommended remediation includes installing a spring box and supplementary drainage. Mr. Smith said engineers were "highly confident" the recommended option A and B would remediate the issue and that the change order total is $76,243.24 (after a small credit noted in the packet).

Several members pressed for additional technical detail and accountability from the design and construction team. "I'm really concerned that the parking lot was built there on top of a spring to begin with," one board member said, asking why the condition had not been addressed earlier and whether the same consultants who missed it bear responsibility now. Others requested that Trace Creek and the engineer attend the next meeting so technical questions can be answered directly.

Rather than vote on either item, the board voted to table the auxiliary parking motion "until we receive further quotes and options for the auxiliary parking" (motion to table approved 5–0) and later tabled the spring-remediation change order pending Trace Creek’s return and answers to technical questions. The board signaled it still supports resolving the construction issues but wants additional bids, surfacing options, and a direct presentation by the contractor/engineer before authorizing the expenditures.

The board also discussed the high school project budget: Mr. Smith clarified there are $2,252,283 in purchase orders on the project and an unencumbered combined balance of roughly $628,951.52 across the two project phases; he said some funds will be moved between phase accounts during final reconciliations with KDE.

Next steps: staff will gather additional quotes (including for paving or alternatives to gravel), request a Trace Creek/engineer presentation at the October meeting, and return with refined cost comparisons and procurement documentation.