A COVID-19 delayed plan to raze and rebuild the Austin Elementary school took a step closer to getting underway on Monday, March 29, when the Scott County School District 1 School Board awarded bids for the total estimated $20 million project.
Bids for all work came in at $16,480,143—over $400,000 below the estimated construction cost of $16,901,433.
Area residents could see demolition begin later this month, officials said.
The Skillman Corporation of Indianapolis is the project construction manager.
“A Construction Manager as constructor handles all of the scheduling, logistics, coordinating and inspections of quality during the construction process,” Dist. 1 School Superintendent Trevor Jones earlier said. “The school board is ultimately responsible but this process puts professionals familiar with construction and standards in charge of the daily, hands-on oversight.”
Jones said that there is a higher administration cost for a CMc but their onsite construction presence would save the school corporation on actual construction costs.
After numerous public informational meetings, the District 1 school board in the summer of 2019 approved a $20 million renovation for Austin Elementary School which includes razing the 1939 two-story brick and the 1950’s single story classrooms and replacing them with a new structure.
Voters in the Jennings Township school district approved a referendum in November of that year to fund the project.
School officials have said that the aging elementary school has been plagued with heating and plumbing issues, and portions had to be shut down and classes moves, owing to original, irreparable pipes.
The campus of the mid-1900s also lacks sufficient student security for the 21st century school safety concerns.
Jones said the new elementary will be energy efficient, provide for improved learning technology and much greater student safety.
Students have been moved out of the older two-story school allowing contractors to demolish the building then begin construction of the new elementary.
When it is complete, students will be moved from the single-story 1950’s classrooms into the new elementary school. Plans call for the single story classrooms to be razed to make way for an elementary playground and additional parking for Rigel Gym events.
The demolition/construction timeline is about 18 months. It is hoped construction will be complete for students to begin the 2022-2023 school year.
