Barrington School District 220 board approved a construction company’s bid for renovations at Barrington High School, but also recognized costs may exceed original design plans.
Board members voted 7-0 at the Jan. 11 school board meeting to approve a $14.8 million agreement with Pepper Construction Company for an addition to the high school and renovation of it. Construction is expected to begin this summer, officials said.
However, Superintendent Robert Hunt explained the district is “taking a step back on 18 bid packages,” redefining the scope of additional work and putting those projects out to bid at a later date since many construction bids came back significantly higher than originally anticipated.
“This is not typical, it’s a higher number than any of us would like to see,” Hunt told the board.
Board members also shared their concerns.
“I am disappointed that there are so many projects that came in higher than our budget,” said board member Barry Altshuler. “That’s very concerning. I know we don’t have a crystal ball, but is there any advantage to push these bids out further hoping the supply chain improves and these numbers come down?”
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