Highland furnishings bids 25 percent lower than estimate

By Mary Zielinski
The Highland School District’s luck kept rolling Thursday, July 16, when bids for the furnishings for the new additions at the high/middle school came in 25 percent lower than estimated. The low bid for everything from wrestling mats to library lounge chairs totaled $170,145, which is $54,855 less than the $225,00 estimate. The bids follow the pattern established in April when bids for the improvements and additions at the middle/high school also were about 25 percent less: $2,803,871 instead of the estimated $3,520,477. Although the bid for improvements at Ainsworth Elementary School came in at $102,000 (estimate was $75,105) is was more than offset by the electrical work coming in at $88,030 rather than the estimated $167,250. The board Thursday unanimously approved accepting the furnishings bid.
The board also accepted the low bid of $1,271.92 per month (which works out to just about $295 per week) from N & N Sanitation for sanitation and recycling services in the district for 2009-10. The second bid from K & K Sanitation, who currently provides the services at $180 per week, was $500 per week for 2009-10. The contract ends July 31.
In other bids, the board accepted Anderson-Erickson’s low bids for plastic containers of milk as follows: 22.69 for 1 percent white; .2340 for 2 percent white; .2218 for skim white and .2368 for skim chocolate. Roberts Dairy bids, for the same items were .2406, .2501, .2333a and .2429.
Superintendent Chris Armstrong had recommended the plastic containers, citing leakage problems with the paper cartons. He also noted that the plastic containers will be recycled.
Other bids were Interstate brands for bread, roLls and buns and Stewart & Sons for LP gas at .865/gallon and Consumer’s Co-op for Gasohol at $1.85 gallon. Action on diesel fuel was tabled to the next meeting pending for further information about DOT rack price and exactly what a no guarantee in a bid meant.
In other business, the board:

• approved payments to Bi-State Contracting of $147,593.07, Mohrfeld Electric, $19,054.15, a change order of $8,185 for Mohrfeld and a change order of $6,205 for Affordable Hazards Removal, all related to the district’s $3 million construction project;
• approved the elementary/preschool handbook;
• approved a Power Schools agreement with Grant Wood AEA;
• approved the Pay Schools program with the Iowa Association of School Boards; and
• set August 10 for the next meeting.