Graham board seeks bids for transportation building

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ST. PARIS – Graham Local Schools’ new transportation office and bus facility is moving closer to construction, with the school board authorizing district officials to seek bids for the work.

The board approved a resolution seeking bids for the property and buildings at 9915 W. U.S. Route 36 at its Monday meeting.

The district is repurposing a building on the former Faulkner Lumberyard property across from Graham Middle School for the new transportation offices. The school board purchased the lumberyard property and sold the former junior high school building at 370 E. Main St. to the village of St. Paris.

The current transportation operations work out of the former junior high building. Once the new building construction is complete, the offices and buses will be moved to the new site, and the village of St. Paris will take possession of the former junior high school, District Operations and Services Supervisor Don Burley said.

Burley is acting as general contractor for the project; he needs to bid out items like electrical, plumbing and general construction work. The building project plans have been approved by county engineers and a building permit has been issued for the work, Burley said.

The district chose to remodel an existing building for the new offices instead of building new on its property due to the cost. Building a new structure had an estimated $1.9 million price tag, Burley said. The goal was to keep the cost under $600,000 — the amount the state of Ohio reimbursed the school district from its previous building project. Even with the property purchase of $336,000, the renovations are expected to come in right on budget, Burley said.

The new transportation facility must still be annexed into the village; that process is nearing completion, he said.

Burley said he hopes to be moved into the new facility by July 1.

In other action, the board:

•Approved minutes and financial statements.

•Approved establishing the Washington, D.C. Scholarship Fund and set its appropriations and revenues at $1,500.

•Accepted donations of $36.16 from Ohio Pyle Prints Inc. to Graham Local Schools; and $500 from Flo Sports to Graham Athletic Department for wrestling.

•Approved one-year limited substitute teaching contracts for the 2015-16 school year.

•Approved one-year limited contracts for the 2015-16 school year.

•Approved one-year limited substitute contracts for the 2015-16 school year.

•Approved hiring Girls Junior Varsity Assistant Basketball Coach (.5) Joe Wilson for the 2015-16 school year.

•Approved volunteers for the 2015-16 school year.

•Approved the Graham BPA 2016 State Leadership Conference trip to Columbus, Ohio, March 17-18, 2016.

•Approved the eighth grade Washington, D.C., trip to Washington D.C. from Nov. 18-23, 2016.

•Approved Mike Ludlow to represent Graham on the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Board of Education. His term will end Dec. 31, 2017.

By Casey S. Elliott

[email protected]

Casey S. Elliott may be reached at 937-652-1331 ext. 1772 or on Twitter @UDCElliott.

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