The Webster Parish School Board will consider advertising for sealed bids for the bond issue for the renovations and construction at two schools in Minden on Monday.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Rawls says if the resolution is adopted, this will give him the authorization to advertise for the purchase of general obligation school bonds for school district No. 6 and to handle any matters in connection with the bids.
“It’s like signing a mortgage, then you take the money and put it in the bank,” he said.
The Webster Parish School Board will meet at 6 p.m., at the Central Office.
“These bonds are like offering a mortgage. These people will loan us $7 million and you pay the note back.”
It will be paid back through the bond extension passed on Nov. 21. The bond extension runs through the year 2027.
He says once the resolution is approved, then the school board will begin publishing public notices for about 30 days to seek bids for the project, Rawls said, until 2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18.
The superintendent says the bids will be turned over to their attorney, Jon Guice, to make a recommendation based on the lowest bid and meeting the qualifications necessary. Once that recommendation is made, he explained, it would be brought before the board, most likely in March, for their consideration.
Once the owners of the bond are chosen and approved, a 30-day period for advertisement bids on a contractor will take place, he said. The bids are for the purchase of the bonds, not the contractor for the project, he said.
Once the board receives the money, it will be deposited into a special account, specifically created for the project.
To alleviate the issues for kindergarten and first grade students at J.E. Harper Elementary School, Webster Parish Schools, with the bonding district 6 funding, will construct a new classroom wing at J.A. Phillips Middle School and one at Webster Junior High. Students at Harper will be moved to Phillips while the sixth grade students will be moved to the junior high school into a new wing.
Rawls says he expects construction to begin over the summer.
In other news, the board will consider:
- Approval to replace LED display controller at North Webster Junior High in the amount of $1,130 using Sarepta Maintenance Fund.
- Approval of the Webster Parish Parental Involvement in Education Policy and the Webster Parish Homeless Polices and Procedures for school year 2016-17.
- A request from the Title I-II Department to attend the Model Schools Conference in Orlando, Florida, in June,
- Approval to purchase a 32-foot self-propelled electric scissor lift for the maintenance shop in the amount of $22,100, using the parish maintenance tax.
- Permission to move two portable buildings at Doyline School to J.L. Jones Elementary School at an estimated cost of $5,000 each. To connect electric and utilities, the cost will be about $1,000 each, all using the District 6 half-cent sales tax.
- Renewal of the maintenance agreement with Homeland Safety Systems for all security cameras at Webster Parish Schools for a total cost of $71,365.46.
- Permission to replace two Lazer Z X-series 180 Kawasaki 60-inch mowers that were stolen from Central Elementary School in the amount of $9,315 each, using the District 3 Maintenance Fund.
- Permission to take requests for proposals for covered approximately 4,024 feet of drive/walkways at the student drop-off zone at Central Elementary School with the estimated cost of $75,000 to $144,000, using District 3 Maintenance Fund.
- Approval to purchase wall padding for the Doyline High School gym from Minden Athletic Supply for $2,550, using the Doyline Building Fund.
- Approval to pay United Automation $1,914.06 to replace the evacuation panel on the fire alarm at Doyline School, using the Doyline Building Fund.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. in the board meeting room at Central Office.