Woodlawn Accepts Bid for Cafeteria Project

WOODLAWN - The Woodlawn School Board approved a bid of $1,232,633 from Brody Richardson Construction of Sheridan during a special meeting Tuesday night to expand the dining area and renovate the kitchen in the school cafeteria.The bid that Richardson presented Tuesday night came in slightly higher than the “conceptional budget” of  $1,227,668 he presented to the board last month. He noted, however, that the bid included a $50,000 contingency fee which may or may not be spent.A contingency fee is money set aside to cover any unforeseen costs that may come up during a project. Richardson said he felt it is best to leave the contingency fee in the bid since the project is technically a “remodel” of an existing structure, and there could be some unanticipated challenges in the renovation. Overall, the project will add nearly 2,800 square feet to the cafeteria. The addition will provide more dining space for the students, add a second serving line and provide more kitchen space and storage. Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock told the board in previous meetings that the renovations will allow more students to be served at one time and at a faster pace, thereby lessening the the number of lunch periods needed each school day.After hearing Ricardson’s bid, board member Rodger Stewart made a motion to accept Hancock’s recommendation to approve the bid as submitted. Stewart’s motion was a approved by a 4-0 vote. Board member Aaron Tooke as not at the meeting.The project is being funded through the 2-mill tax increase approved by voters last year. In addition, the Woodlawn School District received $395,326 through the state partnership program to help pay for the cafeteria addition.Richardson told the board Tuesday night that it will take about eight months to complete the project. He said he would like to begin construction as soon as the students leave for the summer break. However, he said some of the exteri...