Posted 2:19 pm Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Send to Kindle
Bid Documents Approved For Jacksonville ISD School Renovations
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
Plans to renovate two Jacksonville ISD schools moved forward Monday with the approval of bid documents.
Staff Writer
Plans to renovate two Jacksonville ISD schools moved forward Monday with the approval of bid documents.
The decision, made during a regular school board meeting, allows the architect to print plans for Fred Douglass Elementary School and Jacksonville High School and distribute them to the construction manager for the purpose of bidding and creating a guaranteed maximum price, Jacksonville ISD Public Relations Coordinator Marc McCloud said.
Renovations to the schools are part of a nearly $50 million bond package that voters approved last November. New Joe Wright and East Side elementary schools also are part of the bond.
The renovations include additional classrooms and an expanded library for Fred Douglass and a new cafeteria and cafeteria building, an academic wing with eight science labs and hallways to connect to the main building at Jacksonville High School.
Superintendent Dr. Joe Wardell said a gym was not part of the original proposal for Fred Douglass, but it is being considered because other projects have come in at a good price.
“On some of these different alternates, we’re trying to see what value we could get for that,” he said.
Once renovations are complete, the district will be able to provide better service to students during lunch times, Wardell said. Lunch at Fred Douglass currently begins at 10:05 a.m. and ends after 1 p.m.
Besides better lunch service, the larger cafeterias also open up opportunities for programming and new uses of the current facilities, Wardell said.
For instance, the district plans to convert the cafeteria at the high school for band use and use the cafeteria at Fred Douglass for classrooms.
“I think the new design at Fred Douglass will blend really well with the old,” Wardell said. And “at the high school, the design is going to look good but even more important there are the functioning things we will gain with the project, (including) eight new science labs and a hallway to connect a majority of buildings, (which) will be tremendous for safety.”
Jacksonville ISD’s goal for completion on all bond projects is August 2012.
Wardell said construction on the renovation projects will start once the district has a guaranteed maximum price. He estimates that will happen in maybe two to three months.
School leaders broke ground on the new Joe Wright and East Side elementary schools in August.
Once renovations are complete, the district will be able to provide better service to students during lunch times, Wardell said. Lunch at Fred Douglass currently begins at 10:05 a.m. and ends after 1 p.m.
Besides better lunch service, the larger cafeterias also open up opportunities for programming and new uses of the current facilities, Wardell said.
For instance, the district plans to convert the cafeteria at the high school for band use and use the cafeteria at Fred Douglass for classrooms.
“I think the new design at Fred Douglass will blend really well with the old,” Wardell said. And “at the high school, the design is going to look good but even more important there are the functioning things we will gain with the project, (including) eight new science labs and a hallway to connect a majority of buildings, (which) will be tremendous for safety.”
Jacksonville ISD’s goal for completion on all bond projects is August 2012.
Wardell said construction on the renovation projects will start once the district has a guaranteed maximum price. He estimates that will happen in maybe two to three months.
School leaders broke ground on the new Joe Wright and East Side elementary schools in August.
