VIENNA — The Maries R-1 School District is moving forward with planning, bidding and construction for the many projects planned for the campus buildings, track, and parking lots. These projects are made possible after district voters gave its approval with passage of the no tax increase bond issue in June.

The school board met early in the morning last week for a special meeting to give its approval on several projects.

Superintendent Mark Parker presented them with bids for HVAC installation for the band room renovation project. The old library on the south side of the building, currently used for storage, will be transformed into a new band room and is anticipated to be ready for students in the upcoming school year. The school district received three bids for the project including Hood’s Heating and Cooling, LLC, Jefferson City, Sunset Heating and Cooling, LLC, Belle, and Thermal Pro Heating and Cooling, LLC, Koeltztown. Thermal Pro presented the lowest bid of $29,346.26 and the school board accepted that bid.

Parker reported the board approved using Byrne and Jones Construction of Bridgeton, MO through a purchasing cooperative to do the track renovations. Byrne and Jones has been approved through a vetting process in the TIPS Purchasing Cooperative. The board approved Byrne and Jones because of the company’s reputation for its work and years of experience in this type of project. The board wanted a company that specialized in building track facilities because they want Maries R-1’s new track to last as long as possible. The company also will complete every aspect of the project that includes fixing drainage issues, proper land sloping, grinding up the current track surface, pouring a new asphalt track, and overlaying it with a rubberized finish. The estimated cost is $452,500.

Parker said several companies provided similar services but Byrne and Jones was the only one that could complete the project within the timeline and/or the only company that wanted to work on the project. He spoke with several area superintendents and athletic directors who have used Byrne and Jones for projects at their schools and they all spoke very highly about the service they received as well as the quality of facilities that Byrne and Jones provided.

Parker said a Byrne and Jones representative told him the company is prepared to start this project in Vienna immediately after final plans are approved. Work should start within the next few weeks, Parker said, and should be completed for the spring track season.

When looking at the timing of this project, Mr. Parker said, “Because this project will take several months to complete, we had to get moving on it as soon as we could. The condition of the track facility at the present time is not good. It poses a safety issue for those running on it. I am very happy that we have a way to complete the project within our timeline, so that in the spring, our athletes should have a fantastic facility to participate on and one that the community will be proud of.”  

Another important project district staff is working on getting started is the safety entrances and exterior door replacements. Designs for these projects are almost finished and will be going out for bid soon. Parker said he hopes to have some of these projects completed before school begins, but with the April election being postponed to June, it put everything back a couple of months. “We have not had the time like we had hoped,” he said.

Also at the special meeting last week, the school board discussed but did not make any changes to the school calendar.

They talked about opening school a few days sooner and attending school a half day on Thursday, Sept. 3 because of the cancellation of the Maries County Fair.

The board members said they want to support the students that are still involved in showing and selling livestock on the originally scheduled fair days. They also said with school events already being planned and the schedule being set to include renovations at school, they didn’t feel comfortable moving the beginning of the school year.