A bid process is set to open for expansion projects at Eastside School and Warren County Middle School.
Expansions are planned for both schools, if bids are approved. Funds to pay for those projects will come from $10.1 million in stimulus money already received by the Warren County School System.
“We had the final construction meeting last week before going out to bid with those two projects,” said Director of Schools Grant Swallows. “We are trying to round out those two designs.”
WCMS will receive more than one upgrade. Swallows says that school’s renovation is being done in phases with its roof, windows, bathrooms and addition to the building not completed as one project.
The addition is currently what’s going out for bid. Along with expanding the building, it will create a main entrance facing Caldwell Street.
“I’m going to call it the front of the building,” said Swallows, when asked where the addition will be placed. “When the school was built, the front of the building faced the bypass. There’s another building in front of that and lots of trees. So, nobody knows where the front of the building is. That’s part of why this addition is going into place, to make that the front of the building where everybody goes in.”
Currently, visitors access the property from Caldwell and circle around to the back of the building to its main entrance.
Four bids for replacing the middle school’s windows were received in April. Cost estimate on that project was $1.02 million. FTM Construction submitted the lowest bid of $995,000. Bids for the roof came in and will be considered by the county Financial Management Committee.
Eastside School’s expansion project will include additional classrooms. Currently, the school utilizes portable classrooms.
“We will be getting rid of the two portable classrooms at Eastside and building on an additional four classrooms and an administrative and nurse clinic. Once we are able to build that, it will free up the current administrative space which will give us five more classrooms at Eastside. We are excited about that.”
Cost regarding the two expansion projects proposed at Warren County Middle School and Eastside School will be known once bids are received.
An update on how the school system is spending its stimulus funds was given to the county Education Committee.
