LRHS Modernization Project currently on track and within budget

The Lind-Ritzville High School Modernization Project is on-schedule and proceeding according to plan, according to an update provided by Superintendent Don Vanderholm at the Lind and Ritzville School Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 28.

"Things are moving forward really well," said Vanderholm. "We're excited to see that [Walker Construction] is still tracking on-time with the project."

Vanderholm announced that the plan is for the construction crew to start applying sheetrock in March, and the hope is that they can have all of the sheetrock applied by the end of that month.

"We're still on-time and still on-budget, and I know those are the two big things that you asked to make sure we stay on top of," Vanderholm said to the two boards.

In an update provided in December, Vanderholm said that school is expected to be in session at the new high school at the start of the 2019-20 school year. He said it is possible some work will continue after the start of the school, but that if so those would mostly be outside projects that should not impede normal school operations.

In that update, Vanderholm said that all remodels include unforseen costs, which is why a contingency fund is included in the budget. So far, he said, the project is well within the budgeted parameters.

Walker Construction was awarded the bid at the Aug. 27 school board meeting by the Ritzville School Board of Directors, after they submitted a bid of $8,725,000. Four bids in all were received from various contractors. With the Ritzville Board also able to award the bid for five alternate District projects at the August meeting, the total cost is expected at $10,076,412.

Detailed in the Aug. 30 issue of The Journal, the alternate projects include adding an island and sidewalks at Gilson Gym, as well as ADA entry, wheel stops and a 1.5-inch asphalt overlay for a cost of $75,500. A secondary alternate is for reroofing the gymnasium, for the cost of $161,600.

As the third alternate on the project, Gilson Gym will also have a new HVAC unit installed, which is bid at $277,600.

The school board also approved an alternate to replace windows, doors and hardware in the vocational agriculture building for a cost of $23,300. The final alternate is for a parking lot for $93,000.

The Journal had the opportunity to tour the construction site with Vanderholm on a cold afternoon on Feb. 1 and photograph the progress being made by Walker Construction.