Chisholm School Board accepts construction bids

CHISHOLM—The Chisholm School Board on Monday took the next step toward making the school district’s building project a reality.

On Monday, the school board approved $26,418,019 in construction bids, taking the next step for a new preschool through grade six school to be added at the current high school. The project includes classrooms, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria/commons area, a steam conversion and upgrades at the high school, and the demolition of the current Chisholm Elementary, along with preparation and site work for the new building.

“We were happy with the competitive bidding and the excellent turnout and to learn we are on budget and on schedule with the project,” Chisholm School Superintendent Mark Morrison is quoted in a news release.

At the school board meeting on Monday, Jorden Pangrac, a Project Manager with InGensa, Inc., presented an overview of the bids received March 12.

Officials from the company say there were 63 total bids received for 23 work scopes.

There was one scope of work, fire suppression, that did not receive any bids, and there were two work scopes that are being re-bid, metal wall panels and acoustic ceiling tile. Those are now posted and bid opening is tentatively set for April 16, according to InGensa.

There is a project labor agreement in place for the project and all bidders agreed to the terms, according to InGensa.

As it stands now, the project is approximately $4 million under budget, allowing funding for other projects the district is considering. That doesn’t take into consideration the three project areas that are being rebid.

“So you know, don’t be mistaken that we have all sorts of extra money to spend,” Pangrac cautioned the board. “We have other projects that we talked about that are in reality.”

Pangrac said there would be a lot of conversation going forward as to where the money goes, and what it goes into. He encouraged the board to think of it in phases.

“There are needs, including maintenance items and district-wide improvements and it’s a matter of prioritizing those needs,” Pangrac told the Mesabi Tribune on Tuesday.

“We had a good bid day and were happy with the number of bids received,” Pangrac is quoted in the news release.

Chisholm School Board Chair Mark Casey thanked InGensa for running the bid process, adding, “I’ve never seen it done that way.”

Chisholm School Board Director Shelly Lappi likewise said she was excited to be part of the bidding process.

“I thought it went well,” Lappi is quoted as saying in the news release.

Voters in the school district approved a $32 million building bond in 2022 that is being used to fund a majority of the project, according to an early story published in the Mesabi Tribune. The district also received about $750,000 in COVID funding from St. Louis County and has applied for roughly $8 million from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). Chisholm School Superintendent Mark Morrison, at that time, said a majority of the county money and IRRRB funds are to help pay for upgrades and maintenance at the high school.

Once the new school is complete, the district plans on closing the Vaughan-Steffensrud Elementary, which currently houses preschool through third grade, and Chisholm Elementary, a fourth through sixth grade school. The district has yet to make a decision on the future of the Vaughan-Steffensrud Building, and is planning on razing Chisholm Elementary. The building project “right sizes” the district by creating a single campus for all grade levels, and addresses rising maintenance costs at the two buildings.

Groundbreaking for the project is anticipated for May of this year.

A timeline for the project presented to the board back in February calls for construction to begin this spring, a steam to hot water conversion at the high school in Summer 2025, completion of the addition December 2025, demolition of Chisholm Elementary spring/summer 2026, east side parking lot work Summer 2026, and final completion late August 2026.

The board took up the following other matters on Monday.

• Hired Michael Rajkovich as a Level II football coach, effective Aug. 12.

• Approved the purchase of a Heatcraft condenser unit for $13,525 from A-1 Refrigeration to repair the freezer at the Vaughan-Steffensrud Elementary.

• Directed Superintendent Mark Morrison to continue with the Northland Learning Center building project. Director Danielle Randa-Sauter opposed.