Jackson school board approves construction

Jackson High School's agriculture/industrial technology building, which is already undergoing remodeling, will be expanded with 15,000 square feet of new construction.

The school board at a special meeting Thursday morning awarded a contract to Contrend Inc. of Cape Girardeau for the expansion work. The vote was 5 to 2 with board members Jim Woeltje and Mack Illers casting the dissenting votes.

Contrend submitted the low bid of $235,992, said Jackson superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson.

But Woeltje and Illers wanted to award the contract to Penzel Construction of Jackson, which submitted the second-lowest bid of the three bids received by the district.

Woeltje said it made sense to award the contract to Penzel because the contractor already is proceeding with other major improvements at the high school.

Jackson firm

He said he and Illers favor awarding contracts to Jackson firms when possible. Illers couldn't be reached for comment.

Earlier this fall, the school board awarded a $15.5 million contract to Penzel for the first phase of major improvements to the high school campus. Penzel was the low bidder for that work. That project includes construction of space for the music program, a new cafeteria and commons area, new arts rooms and an events center that will serve as both a high school gymnasium and a place for choral and instrumental performances.

Penzel's bid for the agriculture/technology building expansion was only about $2,500 higher than the low bid, board member Gerald Adams said.

But Adams said he and most members of the board favored awarding the contract to the low bidder. Adams said he didn't want to send a message to area contractors that the hometown firm would get school contracts regardless of the bid. Such a message, he said, could have discouraged contractors from bidding on the next phase of construction at the high school.

School district employees currently are remodeling what used to be the Primary Annex building. The remodeling will provide classrooms for the agriculture and industrial technology programs, Anderson said.

Shop space needed

The work is being done in-house in an effort to reduce the cost, he said.

Contrend will construct the addition, a steel structure that will have a brick facade on the front side, Anderson said. The addition will provide needed shop space for the programs including areas for woodworking and welding.

Anderson said school officials hope to open the remodeled and expanded agriculture and technology building for the start of classes next fall.

The project is part of the overall plan to revamp the aging high school campus with funding from a nearly $20 million bond issue approved by voters.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123