With bids 14-percent over estimates the Clinton School Board is taking a couple of weeks to take a closer look at the numbers for the Clinton High School renovation project.
Clinton School Superintendent Gary DeLacy called it the toughest recommendation he’s had to make as an administrator on the project. He says they’ve reviewed a number of options and believes they can still accomplish the project.
The bids came in at about 62-million dollars and that was over the budget from the voter approved bond issue and local option sales tax. The figure was about 8-million dollars over the allocated funds.
A plan to reduce some of the project by about 3 million dollars and plan on the Fine Arts and Athletic Boosters to raise one-point-five million dollars and other adjustments the project could move ahead.
DeLacy says the plan is to split the additional cost between cuts in the project and finding more funds.
School officials say the public must have what they were promised in the campaign. Board President Mike House said the people using the new facility also need to have what they were promised.
Architect Tom Wollans told the board there are some changes that can be made to reduce costs,
Finance Director Cindy McAleer did say she believed the district could afford some of the proposals to finance the project.
The board questioned whether they could wait a couple of weeks while some of the value ideas were further researched and if the costs would ‘hold’ for that period.
The School Board voted to table any action until the next meeting on May 10th.
