JACKSON BIDS ARE BELOW ESTIMATE

JACKSON -- The look of relief on the face of Jackson School Superintendent Wayne Maupin left no doubt to how the bidding went on the new $5.4 million Jackson Middle School project.

Five bids were opened Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. All were under the architect's estimate of $4.9 million.

The apparent low bid of $4,415,000 was submitted by Penzel Construction Company of Jackson. Penzel also was low bidder ($192,000) on the recently-completed site work for the new building.

After reviewing the bids, Maupin said it appears the district will be able to have everything it wanted in the new building, plus the option of adding four additional classrooms for a total of 28 classrooms.

"I'm extremely pleased and relieved," said the superintendent. "The budget for this building was extremely tight. Having these bids come in like they did fits into the scheme of our available monies.

"We were very concerned that we might have to eliminate some portion or some sections of the building in an effort to make the money fit the cost of the project. But it now appears that we'll be able to have everything we feel is needed in that building.

"And we now have the option for the board to consider adding four additional classrooms."

The building's architects, Robert Stearnes and John D. Dudley, will review and analyze the bids and consult with the superintendent and his staff. The architects will make their recommendation on the two low bids at next Tuesday's school board meeting.

The board is expected to act on the recommendation that night. Work on the new building will begin as soon as possible.

The architects said they are very pleased with the number of bidders and the competitiveness of the bids. They noted there was only a difference of $18,128 between Penzel's apparent low bid and the apparent second-low bid of $4,444,926 submitted by Brockmiller Construction Company of Fredericktown.

Other bids included: Brown Construction of Dexter, $4,489,000; Kiefner Brothers, Inc., of Cape Girardeau, $4,670,000; and Sides Construction Co. of Jackson, $4,698,500.

The specification calls for the building to be completed within 485 days after construction begins.

The middle school will be built on a 26-acre tract of land at the southeast corner of Broad Ridge and West Independence. (Route D)

When completed sometime late next year or in early 1995, the middle school will accommodate 700-750 students. It will house the sixth grade now located at West Lane Elementary School, and the seventh grade now at the R.O. Hawkins Junior High School.

The new school is designed to relieve a serious overcrowding situation at the junior high school, and a growing classroom congestion problem at the elementary school.

The building will contain either 24 or 28 classrooms, depending on whether the school board exercises its option to add the additional rooms; plus two science labs, a library, kitchen and cafeteria, industrial arts room, general music room, band room, vocal music room, and gym with shower and locker facilities for boys and girls.

The building is designed with the classrooms on the west side, facing Broad Ridge, in a horseshoe-shaped configuration that overlooks an inner courtyard. The band and music rooms will be located at the other end of the building complex, away from the classrooms.

Construction of the new school will be financed with revenues from a $4.7 million bond issue approved last spring by 76 percent of voters. No increase in the school tax levy is needed to retire the bonds because the district did not allow its bonded indebtedness to drop to zero.

Proceeds from the bond issue will be matched with $400,000 the district has already allocated in the 1992-93 budget for the new building, plus another $100,000 earmarked in the 1993-94 budget. Another $200,000 will come from interest earned on the $4.7 million bond revenues.