By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
School board approves $15 million bid for new ECMS
Placeholder Image

The Effingham County Board of Education will have Pope Construction build the new Effingham County Middle School at a cost of $15.39 million.

Superintendent Randy Shearouse said there were four bids for the project and the highest bid was $16.999 million.

“I would like to call attention to the deducted and additive costs,” Shearouse said. “The main thing to look at is the proposal. Deductions will work as far as cabinets — that basically means we’ll take out $215,000 if we build our own cabinets.”

He said the system recently added a position for an additional cabinetmaker in anticipation of this project.

Shearouse said there are items the system has discovered to work well or are required by the state and requiring specific items adds to the cost.

“I do also have a contract from Pope Construction that I would like the board to recommend we approve the bid and also that we approve the contract,” he said.

Shearouse said that would allow work to begin construction right away.  The new ECMS will be next to Effingham County High School.

Shearouse said in an effort to not limit bids the timeline for completion of the new school would be January 2010.

Board member Troy Alford said the system has used Pope before and has had quality work.

The board also declared 2 acres in front of Guyton Elementary as unnecessary.

Shearouse said he spoke with Guyton Elementary Principal Lewis Beacham to make sure the school will not need the property. The board approved an option for purchase agreement for the land in front of Guyton Elementary with the U.S. Postal Service for $210,000.

“There was actually a mobile home there,” Shearouse said. “I didn’t realize it was our property because it was outside the fence.”

He said the fence will need to be moved slightly.

“Don’t we all wish we could find something like that that we had and didn’t know we had,” BoE Chairperson Vera Jones said.