Tippecanoe Valley Awards Contract For Wind Project
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The board also approved a resolution to the state legislature regarding school funding inequities.
Superintendent Brett Boggs reminded the board that on July 12 the board appointed InterDesign as the design criteria developer for Valley's wind power project. On July 26, the board passed a design-build resolution and appointed members of the technical review committee.
Dan Rawlins, architect and project manager for InterDesign, said a legal notice of request for qualification was published Aug. 4. Performance Services Inc., Indianapolis, and Triangle Associates Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., submitted verified statements of qualification Sept. 7.
The committee met Sept. 13 and determined that both companies were qualified to submit proposals. The committee then met Sept. 21 and reviewed drafts of the design criteria package and authorized its release to the companies, which was done Sept. 23.
The committee, conducted interviews Oct. 5, and the final design criteria was issued Oct. 7. On Nov. 4, both companies submitted two-part proposals, including a technical proposal and a sealed price proposal.
Then on Nov. 16, the committee conducted another round of interviews, with the notice of opening of price proposals issued to the companies Nov. 17. The price proposals were opened Nov. 30, and the school board received a recommendation Monday.
Performance Services Inc. received the recommendation with its proposal to build a 900 kW turbine for $2.3 million. Triangle Associates proposed to build a 900 kW turbine for $2,564,000.
Rawlins said Performance Services Inc. was deemed the best value. The recommendation also is subject to successful securing of public financing for the project, and negotiation of final terms and conditions of the design-build contract.
Boggs also told the school board that Valley was asked by the John Glenn School Corp. to join them in approving a resolution to address the discrepancy among Indiana school districts in per-student funding.
State funding to Indiana school corporations ranges from $4,800 to $12,000 per student, Boggs said. The average tuition support per student for non-charter schools is $5,724 while the average tuition support per student for charter schools is $6,637. The per-student tuition support for Valley for the current school year is $5,739, Boggs said.
The resolution, he said, states the adopting boards find the funding inequities grossly unfair, denying students of equal opportunities and placing undue economic stress on employees of the underfunded schools. It also states the adopting boards find it in the best interest of the students that the state legislature work quickly to resolve school funding inequities.
Boggs said he brought the resolution before the board because he felt it was something he could support to be brought before the state legislature.
Mark Wise, school board vice president, said a lot of times government doesn't make smart decisions, and he worried that they might make school funding worse if they try to "fix" it.
The range of school funding, board member Bryan Murphy said, is very wide.
The board approved the resolution unanimously.
In other business, the school board:
n Heard from Boggs that Akron Elementary School recently was named by the Indiana Department of Education as Fulton County's top high-growth school for English and language arts. Using new data from the Indiana Growth Model, Akron was honored because a large percentage of its students achieved high academic growth in English and language arts during the 2009-10 school year.
n Approved the contract extensions for head football coach Jeff Shriver and head boys basketball coach Bill Patrick.
Valley's head coaches for football and girls and boys basketball typically work under a two-year contract, extended annually when contracts for certified staff are approved.
Due to the lack of an agreement with the Tippecanoe Valley Classroom Teachers Association for the current school year, coaching contracts for Shriver and Patrick had yet to be extended through the 2011-12 school year.
With the board's approval Monday night, both men were approved as head coaches for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.
A two-year contract for Chris Kindig, girls basketball head coach, was approved upon his hiring in June.
n Approved eight KEYS grants totaling almost $2,000. Boggs thanked the eight Valley educators for their initiative in applying for the grants.
n Approved the donation of equipment from Rob and Patti Newman of Newman Construction to the high school building trades class.
The equipment includes an air compressor, roof gun, air hose and a tool set of four air nailers.
n Heard the choir concert canceled Sunday has been rescheduled for tonight at 7 p.m.
n Heard a bus inspection for all school buses manufactured prior to February 1999 will be held at Valley's bus garage. Valley was chosen as one of four sites in the state for the inspection. The inspection will be Jan. 24.
n Announced upcoming board meetings will be Jan. 17, Burket Educational Center; Feb. 14, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School; and March 14, Tippecanoe Valley High School. All meetings start at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
The board also approved a resolution to the state legislature regarding school funding inequities.
Superintendent Brett Boggs reminded the board that on July 12 the board appointed InterDesign as the design criteria developer for Valley's wind power project. On July 26, the board passed a design-build resolution and appointed members of the technical review committee.
Dan Rawlins, architect and project manager for InterDesign, said a legal notice of request for qualification was published Aug. 4. Performance Services Inc., Indianapolis, and Triangle Associates Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., submitted verified statements of qualification Sept. 7.
The committee met Sept. 13 and determined that both companies were qualified to submit proposals. The committee then met Sept. 21 and reviewed drafts of the design criteria package and authorized its release to the companies, which was done Sept. 23.
The committee, conducted interviews Oct. 5, and the final design criteria was issued Oct. 7. On Nov. 4, both companies submitted two-part proposals, including a technical proposal and a sealed price proposal.
Then on Nov. 16, the committee conducted another round of interviews, with the notice of opening of price proposals issued to the companies Nov. 17. The price proposals were opened Nov. 30, and the school board received a recommendation Monday.
Performance Services Inc. received the recommendation with its proposal to build a 900 kW turbine for $2.3 million. Triangle Associates proposed to build a 900 kW turbine for $2,564,000.
Rawlins said Performance Services Inc. was deemed the best value. The recommendation also is subject to successful securing of public financing for the project, and negotiation of final terms and conditions of the design-build contract.
Boggs also told the school board that Valley was asked by the John Glenn School Corp. to join them in approving a resolution to address the discrepancy among Indiana school districts in per-student funding.
State funding to Indiana school corporations ranges from $4,800 to $12,000 per student, Boggs said. The average tuition support per student for non-charter schools is $5,724 while the average tuition support per student for charter schools is $6,637. The per-student tuition support for Valley for the current school year is $5,739, Boggs said.
The resolution, he said, states the adopting boards find the funding inequities grossly unfair, denying students of equal opportunities and placing undue economic stress on employees of the underfunded schools. It also states the adopting boards find it in the best interest of the students that the state legislature work quickly to resolve school funding inequities.
Boggs said he brought the resolution before the board because he felt it was something he could support to be brought before the state legislature.
Mark Wise, school board vice president, said a lot of times government doesn't make smart decisions, and he worried that they might make school funding worse if they try to "fix" it.
The range of school funding, board member Bryan Murphy said, is very wide.
The board approved the resolution unanimously.
In other business, the school board:
n Heard from Boggs that Akron Elementary School recently was named by the Indiana Department of Education as Fulton County's top high-growth school for English and language arts. Using new data from the Indiana Growth Model, Akron was honored because a large percentage of its students achieved high academic growth in English and language arts during the 2009-10 school year.
n Approved the contract extensions for head football coach Jeff Shriver and head boys basketball coach Bill Patrick.
Valley's head coaches for football and girls and boys basketball typically work under a two-year contract, extended annually when contracts for certified staff are approved.
Due to the lack of an agreement with the Tippecanoe Valley Classroom Teachers Association for the current school year, coaching contracts for Shriver and Patrick had yet to be extended through the 2011-12 school year.
With the board's approval Monday night, both men were approved as head coaches for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.
A two-year contract for Chris Kindig, girls basketball head coach, was approved upon his hiring in June.
n Approved eight KEYS grants totaling almost $2,000. Boggs thanked the eight Valley educators for their initiative in applying for the grants.
n Approved the donation of equipment from Rob and Patti Newman of Newman Construction to the high school building trades class.
The equipment includes an air compressor, roof gun, air hose and a tool set of four air nailers.
n Heard the choir concert canceled Sunday has been rescheduled for tonight at 7 p.m.
n Heard a bus inspection for all school buses manufactured prior to February 1999 will be held at Valley's bus garage. Valley was chosen as one of four sites in the state for the inspection. The inspection will be Jan. 24.
n Announced upcoming board meetings will be Jan. 17, Burket Educational Center; Feb. 14, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School; and March 14, Tippecanoe Valley High School. All meetings start at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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