School board approves two awards for A.S. Rhodes renovations

A. S. Rhodes Elementary School

The Warren County School Board on Tuesday, November 19, unanimously approved two awards for the 21,070-square-feet of renovations planned for A.S. Rhodes Elementary School that will include new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

The board members voted 4-0, with school board member Donna McEathron absent, to award an almost $3.1 million contract to Lantz Construction Company of Winchester Inc. (LCW) for the renovation of A. S. Rhodes Elementary School.

LCW in September originally submitted a total $5.26 million project bid, which included a $3.38 million base bid to create a secure front entrance to the building; move the main office to the front of the building; make the restrooms ADA-compliant; put in new floors and a new ceiling; and provide ductwork for the HVAC units.

In addition to the base bid, the LCW project bid also included 13 alternate bid items totaling almost $1.9 million for replacing the flat roof system; providing and installing casework and sinks in several classrooms; constructing new columns on the front of the building; and providing and installing six HVAC units, among other items, according to the Winchester, Va.-based company’s bid tabulation sheet.

Melody Sheppard discusses A.S. Rhodes renovation project with the board. Photos and video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

Melody Sheppard, the Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Assistant Superintendent for Administration, told School Board members that the district currently has approximately $3.51 million available for the school’s renovation — $2.27 million from a Warren County Middle School project; $119,915 from WCPS capital improvement funds; and roughly $1.12 million from Warren County capital funding.

“These funds are available to complete the work included in the base bid of the renovation project and to temporarily place modular classrooms on the property to be used as classroom space,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard said WCPS “worked with LCW to value engineer the base bid and have negotiated a cost of $3,096,300,” down from LCW’s original base bid of $3.38 million.

Sheppard also told School Board members that the Warren County Board of Supervisors tonight would consider allotting WCPS another $600,000 for the renovation project that would be used for the new HVAC units.

Following the board’s approval of the contract award to LCW, Sheppard called the forthcoming project “exciting.”

In related action, the School Board members voted 4-0 to award a $102,226 contract to Modular Genius of Joppa, Md., for four temporary modular classrooms that will be placed at A.S. Rhodes Elementary School during the renovation.

Greg Livesay, WCPS maintenance director.

Greg Livesay, WCPS maintenance director, told members that the four modular classrooms will be under one roof with fully ADA-compliant steps and ramps for access, and located on the asphalt play court adjacent to the school’s multi-purpose gymnasium building.

The modular classrooms are set for a January 1, 2020 delivery date, said Livesay, who added that based on the construction schedule, the temporary classrooms would be needed for a period of six months and would be removed before the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

It will likely take almost the entire month of January 2020 to then get the classrooms set up, he said, noting that new electrical also must be installed because the gym doesn’t have the additional capacity to serve the modular classrooms.

WCPS on October 11 received four solicited proposals to provide and erect the four modular classrooms as part of the A.S. Rhodes renovation project. The temporary classrooms are needed to create the necessary swing or empty space within the main school building that will allow the general contractor to complete the renovations in two separate phases, said Livesay.

Voting tonight were School Board members Chairwoman Catherine Bower; Arnold Williams, Jr.; C. Douglas Rosen; and James Wells. The next Warren County School Board meeting is scheduled for Wed., December 4 at 7 p.m.

At the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, the board approved all funding requests for the A.S. Rhodes project.

Royal Examiner covered the Tuesday night meeting. Watch the entire video below.