HOWARD — The East Knox Local Schools’ board of education was given the chance to look over first draft blueprints for the new junior and senior high school building.
Representatives from Fanning & Howey, the architect firm on the project, and Elrond, Inc., construction manager at risk, gave an overview of the first rough draft of the new high school building to be constructed. Steve Wilcynski, from Fanning & Howey, walked the board through a Zoom presentation of the blueprints.
“These are still early, they’re work in progress,” Wilcynski said about the blueprints. “We will continue to develop all of this as we move into the next stage of design development.”
The next phase will be more detail-oriented and should be presented sometime at the end of July. The final phase of plans will be drawn up and be presented around October. Wilcynski said that the final costs should be determined after the final phase of blueprints in October.
“So we have a lot more meetings and discussions to get to that point,” Wilcynski said. “But we’re making great progress.”
The board had some questions for the representative, including concerns about the staying on budget. Wilcynski said that in this stage of the game that they are, in regards to the budget, at a responsible position. The current building costs, under these blueprints, total roughly $16 million.
The board approved the Schematic Design budget for the Grade 6-12 project not to exceed $19 million. Superintendent Steve Larcomb, after the meeting, pointed out that the building costs for the project, the estimated $16 million, does not include things such as the modular school buildings and other occurring costs when it comes to getting a project up and running. That is why the overall Schematic Design budget calls for not exceeding $19 million.
The board also:
•Approved an amendment to resolution #20-047 adding a safeguard for students' grades in regards to COVID-19; it states that no students will receive a failing grade for the final semester grade for grades 9-12 and fourth nine weeks grade in grades K-8 provided that the student put forth effort as determined by the student’s teacher.
•Approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the East Knox Education Association as presented.
•Set school fees for students in grades K-12 at $40 per pupil for the 2020-21 school year.
•Approved a contract with the Knox County Health Department for nursing services for the 2020-21 school year at an hourly rate of $45, not exceeding $66,240.
•Approved the agreement with Knox County Educational Service Center for the 2020-21 school year for contracted special education and preschool services at an estimated cost of $814,388.42.
•Approved the renewal of liability, fleet and property insurance with Ohio School Plan for the period of July 1, 2020, to June 20, 2021, at the cost of $43,172, plus $1,846 for additional crime protection.
•Approved various personnel and students to participate in the College Credit Plus Program for the 2020-21 school year.
