School board approves bids for expansion projects

The Board of Trustees for Coeur d’Alene Public Schools on Tuesday voted to accept $9.8 million in construction bids for the expansion of Coeur d’Alene High School and Dalton Elementary School.

Ginno Construction Co.’s bid of $7,110,000 was the lowest of two bids submitted for the CHS project. Coeur d’Alene-based Ginno will build an addition with eight new classrooms; expand Viking Court to function as the new competition gym; construct a new wrestling room; build a weight room addition; add a new testing and multipurpose room; and construct a new gymnasium entry on the east side of the school. The project design is by Design West.

Dardan Enterprises, Inc. of Post Falls submitted the lowest of two bids, at $2,718,000, for the Dalton project. The expansion will include three new classrooms, a newly designed art room, a newly designed media center, and a new stage and music room attached to the gymnasium. Longwell + Trapp provided the design.

Both projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of this summer.

Because bids were higher than anticipated, some non-essential components of the projects need to be withdrawn to ensure the work can be completed within budget. When the projects are completed, the district will review whether contingency funds are sufficient to complete the components withdrawn from the plan.

The projects are part of a $35.5 million school bond measure approved by voters in March 2017. The general construction budget is $5.6 million for the CHS project and $2.3 million for the Dalton project. The unbudgeted contingency fund is $985,000 for the CHS project and $315,000 for the Dalton project.

Plans for the CHS and Dalton projects, as well as details on other projects in the bond program, are on the school district’s website at www.cdaschools.org/levybond.