By By EDWIN MODLIN II
Staff Writer
Beaufort County school board members were updated Monday on three proposed improvement projects regarding three elementary schools, but it decided it’s needs more information before making a final decision concerning the projects.
Jimmy Hite, an architect with Hite &Associates in Greenville and who is familiar with the projects, told the board the costs of the projects and gave a report on the roofing project under way at Washington High School.
The three projects include installing a new drainage system at Northeast Elementary School near Belhaven, renovating two bathrooms at Bath Elementary School and replacing windows at Eastern Elementary School in Washington.
“The construction would result in a total of $351,495,” Hite said.
Beaufort County Schools received just one bid on the work.
Robert Belcher, board chairman, wanted to know why the school system received just the one bid, especially in the current economy.
Hite said four contractors attended the prebid informational meeting. Hite said he did not know why only one bid on the project was submitted.
Belcher asked if the school system could re-advertise for bids on the projects, with hopes of getting more bids.
“We called every contractor that has expressed an interest in our projects here in the last several years,” Hite said, adding that he does not know why they did not offer bids this time.
Hite said he would to do whatever the board decided to do to get a better price for the projects.
Further discussion on the projects was postponed until the board’s next meeting to prevent the board from making a hasty decision, according to Belcher.
The chairman said two other projects were shelved so that in the event that a catastrophe — such as a hurricane — happens, the school system would have money set aside for repairs to school facilities.