mmilliken@heraldsun.com; 419-6684
DURHAM -- Construction bids for three Durham public school construction projects have been provisionally awarded by the school board.
The board also discussed magnet-school assignments for children of magnet-school workers and asked administrators to draft a policy for consideration last week.
The board's administrative services committee provisionally agreed to award the following contracts:
- $1 million to State Contracting of Wake Forest for reworking the driveway and parking lot at Jordan High.
The project is funded by the 2007 bond. Because it is over budget by $430,000, unused funds from a completed project at Easley Elementary will be transferred.
One-half of the project will be conducted by minority- or women-owned businesses.
- $595,000 to Neo Corp., also of Wake Forest, for abating asbestos and demolishing the Carr Building at Durham School of the Arts.
The project is funded by the 2007 bond.
Board members expressed unhappiness that none of the work will be conducted by minority- or women-owned businesses. Hugh Osteen, the assistant superintendent for operational services, said that district officials were not happy either and still hoped to change that.
- $92,300 to Strickland Waterproofing of Charlotte for recoating, repairing and enhancing the roof of Poe Gymnasium at Northern High. The enhancements include replacing translucent panels and adding a new lightning suppression system.
The project is funded by the North Carolina Education Lottery.
None of the work will be conducted by minority- or women-owned businesses.
Also Thursday, the board spent about 30 minutes considering more aspects of allowing magnet-school employees' children to transfer into their parents' schools.
Discussion of the matter will likely be continued March 2, when the support services committee next meets.
But the board asked administrators to do two things. They will draft a policy that would give magnet-school employees a great degree of latitude in transferring children to the buildings where they work. They will also survey itinerant employees on their interest in transferring children into magnet schools where they work.
Itinerant workers are full-time employees who are assigned to multiple schools.
The board still could opt to narrow the policy or to eschew passing it altogether.
