Bids awarded for 3 RHS renovations

Citing needs including security and accessible restrooms, three construction projects will move forward at Richmond High School.

During its Feb. 18 meeting, Richmond Community Schools’ board approved three bid awards for Career Center restrooms, a secure entrance and classroom reconfiguration.

Pridemark Construction and Thor Construction each submitted bids for the three projects. They are:

• Demolition and reconstruction of the restrooms on the Career Center’s first floor near the cafeteria to be ADA compliant. They haven’t been renovated since 1983. Pridemark’s bid of $331,730 won; Thor bid $399,000.
• Demolition and reconstruction of six classrooms south of the current library for applied skills programs. They will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. RCS will pay Pridemark $902,500 (Thor had bid $915,000).
• Demolition and construction of a secure front entrance. Thor’s bid of $816,000 won for the secure entrance over Pridemark’s $942,000. It will include a secure entrance, conference rooms, a restroom and accessible ramps for Door 1, Door 1A and Door 2.

In addition, the board also approved a $250,000 contract with Thor Construction to restore Fairview Elementary’s tower after approving the bid in December. It’s to be finished by July 31.

Test roof

The board also took action on a prior renovation project — complete replacement of Test Intermediate School’s roof — that didn’t go as officials had expected. It unanimously adopted a resolution declaring a contractor in default, terminating the contract, and directing notification to the surety on the contractor’s performance bond.

RCS hired Freedom Roof, Windows and Siding based in Woodville, Ohio, in November 2024.

In the document, RCS asserts that Freedom’s construction had issues with one or more of seven areas:

• Meeting construction deadlines
• Implementing schedule recovery practices after falling behind
• Defective performance of portions of the work attempted to date
• Unjustifiably failing to abide by directives of project architect/engineer LWC Inc. to allow LWC’s presence when the contractor covered and ostensibly corrected portions of previously identified defective aspects of the work to assure correction
• Unauthorized commencement of new phases of the work without completing prior scheduled phases
• Storage and application of roofing products, especially those in temperatures too low to assure adhesion between strata of the roofing systems
• Continued encounters with defects resulting in roof leaks and damage to sub-roof systems and interior portions of the building and RCS’ personal property after Freedom’s contention the work was substantially completed.

Public commentary

Seven speakers gave public commentary.

Tammy Summitt and Emily Christian raised concerns about paraprofessionals’ lack of compensation during weather-related school closures.

Richmond Education Association President Jay Lee echoed concerns about paraprofessional pay and asked for as much advance notice as possible for any reductions in force and related procedures and protocols. He said he was told that RIFs would be as far away from the classroom as possible, and he’s hopeful that will be the case.

Jaclyn Bartlemay, a Charles and Westview teacher, said elementary teachers feel they’ve had drastic workload increases, especially regarding meetings. Some schools don’t have enough paraprofessionals to cover all classrooms, so kids might miss up to 45 minutes of instructional time when in the cafeteria or gym during one particular weekly teacher meeting, she said.

In addition, some elementary classrooms have 25 or 26 students, and some of those have 50% or more on Individual Education Plans, tiers or behavior plans, resulting in additional meetings for those teachers, Bartlemay said.

In other business

• The board approved a 2% salary increase for RCS’ noncertified staff, excluding administrators and substitute teachers. It’s retroactive to the start of the contract year for those with employment contracts and effective Feb. 22 for noncontract hourly employees.
• First readings were conducted on several policies with topics including compensation, executive sessions, reduction in force in certified staff, outside activities of staff, retaking a class and personal background checks. Second readings and approval took place on policies for election and eligibility to serve, staff evaluation, and teacher appreciation grants.
• The board’s next special policy meeting is 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, and the next regular monthly meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 18. Both are in the administration building, 300 Hub Etchison Parkway, and the public is invited.