The Blair Oaks R-2 School District in Wardsville expects to break ground at its new high school in early April 2020, Superintendent Jim Jones announced at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday.
Contractors will have 30 days beginning in late January to submit bids for the first phase of the project. The board hopes to award a contract at its March 10 meeting.
An official groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled at a later date.
Although dates are subject to change, the timeline is fairly accurate, Jones said.
In an update posted to the district's website, Jones explains the process the district has set about since voters approved a $14 million bond issue and an operating levy increase in April.
The district sold $9 million of the $14 million in bonds in September. The remaining $5 million will be sold in early 2020, according to Jones' update.
"The district will continue to monitor the overall bond market in the months ahead," Jones wrote. "The goal is to capture the best interest rates possible while meeting the calls for construction payments."
Phase one of the project will end with the high school opening in August 2021. The entire project should be completed in August 2025.
The total cost of building both phases of the new high school is projected at $19 million.
In other business Tuesday, the board discussed the need to address some capital improvement projects before the 2019-20 fiscal year ends.
A total of $100,060 is budgeted for the year, Jones told the News Tribune.
High on the priority list is replacing aging sewer lines in the elementary school, Jones said.
Short-term maintenance work has been done this year; however, replacing the lines is necessary, Director of Buildings and Grounds Randy Prenger told the board.
"We've got to do something - probably this summer," Prenger said.
No cost estimates have been discussed for the project, Jones said. The work will disrupt offices in the elementary building.
Other considered projects on the list include roof replacements, stormwater at the new high school, updating phone systems, and ADA accessibility at the elementary school and athletic complex.