Shaw Island School Board approves three‑bedroom teacher housing unit

The Shaw Island School District Board of Directors voted unanimously Oct. 30 to accept a contractor bid and approve a contract for Alternate 3, a three‑bedroom teacher housing unit intended to house families with multiple children.

Superintendent Dr. Becky Bell told the board that OPALCO has received a formal request for electrical service cost information and will provide a price estimate; PBW Architects and the project manager performed background checks on bidders and reported no claims and positive references. Dr. Bell summarized the district's finances for the project: about $840,000 in cash on hand, $52,000 in donations still outstanding, $205,899 in the General Fund investment, and a borrowing capacity of about $300,000. She said permitting allows construction of one house and that switching or moving houses would require a permit revision; a permit would remain valid for five years.

Board members debated building a two‑bedroom versus a three‑bedroom unit. Director Jon Shannon argued that a three‑bedroom could better accommodate a family with multiple children and might be the only feasible structure the district could build. Project Manager John Bingham warned of additional costs and potential change orders but said that, with the presented numbers as a "worst case scenario," he personally supported the three‑bedroom option. Chair Carol Criss called for the question and the motion to accept Alternate 3 carried unanimously.

The board set a timeline Dr. Bell outlined: a 30‑day window to reach contract agreement (target date Nov. 29), followed by a 30‑day construction window (target date Dec. 29), during which PBW Architects and the project manager will conduct site reviews tied to pay requests and any change orders. Alan DiBona of Swal’lech Construction, present on Zoom, said the contractor team was enthusiastic about moving forward: "Everyone at Swal’lech was excited about the project."