ASHLAND — The Ashland schools board of education approved four construction projects around the district that amount to $1.5 million at its meeting Monday.
The money will cover the costs of updates at Taft Intermediate, constructing a high school storage building, replacing the high school’s track surface and replacing the stadium’s scoreboard.
The majority of the costs associated with Taft Intermediate and a new storage building for the high school will be covered by federal formula grant money, officials said.
At Taft, the district plans to upgrade the school’s gymnasium flooring, refinish the school’s terrazzo flooring and install new lockers in the halls. Massillon Construction and Supply was hired as the lowest of two bids for that job.
There will be 150 lockers installed, but they will be “double lockers,” said Superintendent Doug Marrah. He noted the price on Taft is a tick higher than what the district spent on Edison last year.
“And that’s really good for our kids as they transition, have their own space and go out and learn how to use the locker as they transition,” Marrah said.
The base bid for this project was initially $850,000, according to district documents. Marrah said the price increased in part because of the rising costs in materials.
The high school’s new storage building went to WEB Construction for $159,306.51, which came in lower than the initial base bid of $195,000.
The high school’s track surface replacement will cost $227,000. The project went to Beynon Sports Surfaces, a company based in Hunt Valley, Maryland. They were the lowest of four bidders.
Marrah said the track replacement project will be funded through the district’s athletic and wellness funds.
“We’ll finish up with (permanent improvement) funds,” Marrah said, noting the construction firm doing the project is the same one that did it more than a decade ago.
Board president Zack Truax was amazed the track surface lasted this long.
“This will give our kids a great surface to practice and compete on,” he said.
The new scoreboard will receive new masonry columns, matching the brick color of all district buildings, Marrah said. That project went to Daktronics, a company based out of Brookings, South Dakota. There were two bidders for the $161,313 project, to be funded with the district’s capital outlay fund.
The initial bid estimate was $250,000, according to district documents.
Truax thanked the school’s football parents for its $10,000 donation and Sutton Bank for its donation.
District treasurer Kyle Klingler said the storage building project will start as soon as possible. He said that project needs to be completed by the middle of May so the other projects can get started by June, shortly after school ends.
The YMCA of Ashland, Ohio proudly sponsors our Education section, championing community learning, growth and the success of Ashland County's youth.
