Bids for Chapin High School Project Open Oct. 18

Bids for the Chapin High School project will be opened on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m., District 5 Superintendent Stephen Hefner said at a board meeting Monday night.

During an update of the Vision 2015 plan, Hefner said the district is moving forward on the project despite its and has already advertised for bids on Sept. 18.

After receiving court rulings in the district’s favor, Hefner told district personnel to proceed with the project that has been delayed for about two years.

In 2008, voters approved a 2008 bond referendum for $243,665,000 in general obligation bonds to finance the cost of improving, renovating, expanding and repairing some of the district’s school facilities.

Hefner said that the administration would bring a recommendation to award the project to the “lowest responsible, responsive bidder” to the board at its Oct. 24 meeting.

Construction could begin by early November, he said.

The project calls for renovating and expanding Chapin High on its current site.  Plans include an addition of 70,000 square feet that would include classrooms, science labs, resource rooms and support space. There would also be a new 40,000 square-foot gymnasium with a stage among other upgrades and improvements.

Hefner also talked about the next steps for the new magnet high school on the Spring Hill site, improvements to Irmo and Dutch Fork high schools, a new elementary school, and the district’s magnet and choice options.

The district anticipates advertising for bids on Oct. 16 and opening bids on Nov. 17 for the new magnet high school, Hefner said.

As for the Irmo and Dutch Fork high improvements, the district is finalizing the proposed scope of work for both projects and is aiming to bring proposed conceptual designs and budgets for the work for the board to consider.

Bids for the new elementary school are not expected to happen until the fall of 2012.

Proposals for the district’s expansion of magnet and choice options are still in the process of being developed, and a specific proposal could be presented as early as the board’s Nov. 14 meeting.

All of the information presented during Hefner’s report was for the board to review.