School board selects local firm to plan junior high project

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook School Board was unanimous in its selection Monday night of W Design Associates, a local firm, for either extensive remodeling at the junior high or construction of a new junior high school.

Board president Tom Bredvick made the motion, seconded by board member Loretta Hauxwell, to authorize the McCook Public Schools superintendent to contact/establish a partnership with W Design and provide the superintendent and/or board officers with the authority to negotiate and sign necessary contracts or forms to act as a formal agreement between the firm and MPS.

Two other firms were in the running, DLR Group of Lincoln/Omaha, Neb. and Joseph R. Hewgley and Associates of North Platte, Neb. The board heard presentations from all three firms at a special meeting in September.

Bredvick said before the vote that he enjoyed the process and recalled years ago, when he was a patron and not a board member and the district was contemplating a major building project, that he didn’t realize at the time the depth of detail that went into a process like this. He said he appreciated the thoroughness all the firms presented and that the district could have gone with any one of them.

Hauxwell commented that she had confidence that W Design would ensure that the school district would get what it needed at the junior high.

The board has been discussing the past few months the need for major remodeling at the junior high or the construction of a new junior high school, without giving any specifics. The project would require approval by voters for a bond necessary for the construction.

One board member did voice his concern on the higher maximum start-up costs of W Design. Board vice president Brad Hays noted that maximum start-up costs of putting a bond forward given by the three firms had DLR Group at $27,500, that included travel time, Joseph R. Hewgley and Associates at $20,500 and W Design Associates at a negotiated hourly rate not to exceed $80,000. Hays later voted with the rest of the board in favor of W Design.

In other business, the board briefly discussed the purchase of 2023 Cornhusker International 59-passenger school bus for $89,900. This differs from the used coach bus the board bought last year for $146,850; this bus is a yellow route bus.Business Manager Jeff Gross clarified that although the agenda for Monday night had the purchase as a voting item, the board did not have to actually vote on it as it was a purchase under $100,000.Gross also explained that although the bus has a discount of $3,500 for being a demo bus, it was not actually used as a demo bus but qualified for the discount as it will be driven from the point of purchase to McCook. Delivery could be by early spring of next year.A “Request for proposal,” or RFP, was sent out and three bids were received, Gross said, from Bluebird, Thomas and Cornhusker International, with the latter giving the lowest bid. The bus will be paid for by using funds the school district received from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, known as ESSER funds. That’s because Snell Services, who was contracted for HVAC upgrades at the junior high using ESSER funds, cut its price by $270,000, so that money will be used to buy the bus, as well as two new school vans. The bus and vans are an eligible use of ESSER money, Gross said.The board also accepted the $3,690 donation from MNB Bison debit cards. In response to a question by board member Teresa Thomas, who asked if the funds would be earmarked specifically, Superintendent Grant Norgaard said the funds would be used to “impact the classroom” in some way, whether for art supplies or technology needs.