School District of Monroe Board of Education Meeting - 6-10-24

Meeting Highlights:
3:40- Public comment
8:05 - Athletics and Activities Participation Report with Activities Director Jeff Newcomer
- District was awarded the All Sports Award for the Rock Valley Conference
20:50 - Discussion and Approval of the 2024-2025 Temporary Operating Budget
- The Temporary Operating Budget Approval allows the District to continue operating from July 1st until the 2024-2025 Budget is presented for Approval at the Annual Meeting in October. District Business Administrator Ron Olson presents a comprehensive explanation of the proposed budget and the challenges the District is facing due to increased costs, lower enrollment, and the end of COVID ESSER funds. He also discusses how the District has worked to reduce expenditures to bring the anticipated deficit of $3.2 million down to $2.6 million. There was also discussion of a potential Operating Referendum and the timeline.
56:54 - Approval of WASB (Wisconsin Association of School Boards) Membership
59:07 - Curriculum Update with Director of Curriculum and Instruction Todd Paradis
- Recap of the 2023-2024 school year and data.
- Summer School started June 10th and will end June 28th.
- The number of students at the middle school and high school has increased meaning more students are getting needed support.
1:03:40 - Discussion and Approval of Electrical Contract
- CG Schmidt presented the bids for the electrical trade partners for the high school construction project. Trade partners are brought in for their expertise during the design phase which typically helps reduce costs and future change orders.
- PDC was approved for the exterior electric and NEXT was approved for the interior electric. The cost was $806,000 over the budgeted amount but overall the project is about $250,000 under budget for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.
1:18:09 - Discussion and Approval of Structural Contracts
- The bids presented were hard competitive bids vs. trade partners. When a hard bid is approved, we are contracted for the bid amount and the contractor can order materials.
- Structural bids were for building concrete, site concrete (sidewalks, etc), pre-cast concrete, structural steel fabrication, and steel installation
- CG Schmidt was approved for concrete and the bid was $300,000 under budget
- Wells was approved for pre-cast concrete and the bid was $401,228 under budget
- JP Cullen was approved for structural masonry and the bid was $114,963 over budget which was the lowest of the 3 bids presented
- Weld Corp. was approved for steel fabrication and the bid was $867,717 under budget
- Capital Steel Erectors was approved for structural steel installation and the bid was $596,425 under budget
1:52:30 - High School Project Update
- 29% of the project is left to bid. 46% of bids have been presented, 25% of bids have been received but not processed yet or we are waiting to receive bids
- Many bids have come in under the budgeted amount while some have been over the budgeted amount
- Work began at Abraham Lincoln on the improvements that will be completed over the summer including new HVAC, updated mechanical and electrical, and remodeling of some of the bathrooms for better accessibility
- A meeting for the community to provide input on Legacy items they like to see in the new high school will happen sometime this summer. A date has not been set yet.
- Work has begun on the high school site and topsoil is being moved. A site fence is going up on Friday, June 14th.
- The District is still in negotiations for road access to the North of the new high school.
- Expected to have the GMP, Guaranteed Maximum Price, by September
- CG Schmidt is waiting on landscaping for the new school because the City of Monroe is considering revising existing zoning codes which would impact the project.
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