School District Projects Hit Road Blocks as Construction Prices Skyrocket
Date Posted: June 10, 2021
Posted In: Projects,
From eMissourian: St. Clair R-XIII and Meramec Valley R-III school districts are considering pressing the pause button on some major renovation projects due to rising construction costs.
At a June 2 special meeting, St. Clair board of education members discussed halting some of the capital project work funded by their $12.75 million bond issue.
Pacific officials are predicting they will use almost all of the district’s $3 million set aside for unexpected costs for the Zitzman Elementary School expansion. The project was originally budgeted at $6.2 million.
Construction costs have increased due to a rise in material prices in the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the St. Clair board meeting, members commiserated with one another about the price of lumber — a 2-by-4 costs $14, they said. Members recalled previously spending $2 to $5 per 2-by-4 board when purchasing them for home projects.
St. Clair projects to pause
The St. Clair Board of Education will vote at its June 10 meeting on whether to halt the work. Superintendent Dr. Kyle Kruse will recommend the bus bay, auditorium and driving loop projects be put on hold, he said.
The bus bay’s lowest bid, given by Farmington-based construction firm Brockmiller Construction Inc., totaled $1.644 million. This was “well over” architecture firm FGM Architect’s cost estimate of $1.2 million to $1.3 million, Kruse said. The new facility would house 30 buses, offices, storage and more.
A package plan for new safety vestibules and a drop-off loop at the front of the elementary school and junior high would cost $44,000 more than the projected price, Kruse said. Brockmiller gave the lowest bid of $924,000. Kruse said the district should proceed with the vestibule construction but remove the loop.
The auditorium has not been sent out for bids, but FGM Architects originally projected it would cost $11 million to $12 million. “Each time we get a new estimate, it feels like we have to take a piece away, so we think it’s best to pause for prices to stabilize,” Kruse said.