Pullman School Board approves low bid for Kamiak Elementary

The Pullman School Board voted Wednesday to accept the $19.3 million bid from a Spokane-based company to construct the district’s new elementary school.

As there is likely to be only one board meeting in July, the board decided sooner was better than later when it came to sealing the upcoming construction deal, with work to begin before the end of summer.

The bid, the lowest of five collected by Pullman’s Design West Architects, which designed the project, was offered by Walker Construction Co.

Board members, as well as district personnel, said they were impressed by the amounts in the bids.

“The really, really exciting news is it came in under what Design West was expecting,” said Joe Thornton, district operations director.

The difference between lowest and highest bids was $1.7 million.

“The base bids were very, very close,” said Superintendent Bob Maxwell. 

According to information from Design West, the spread among the three lowest bidders was within 1 percent.

Thornton said contractors submitted one base bid and, an hour later, an alternate bid, which included various extras, such as appliances, playground equipment and a theatrical stage lighting package, among others.

Walker added sports equipment for free, on the condition the district purchased one other add-on, a savings of $110,000.

Thornton said the decision was likely a strategy to obtain the job.

“Contractors are saying we’re a great client to work with,” he said.

The creation of a fourth elementary school for the district has been in the works since early 2015, when the board began looking for land to purchase.

The decision was influenced by the steadily increasing student body, and the focus on lowering class sizes in younger grades brought about by the 2012 McCleary decision.

The school, to be built on Terre View Drive, will include up to 28 classrooms over 75,000 square feet, as well as a multipurpose room — including a cafeteria — a library and spaces for the arts.

The bid also includes a distributed antennae system, security cameras, sod for the playfield, an air conditioning system, additional classroom shelving units and resilient flooring.

Instead of the base bids shingles, the accepted bid includes standing-seam metal roofing.

The roof was foremost on board members’ minds.

“This does include a real, 50-year roof,” Thornton said.

After Washington state sales tax, the total cost is expected to come to $20.4 million.

Shanon Quinn can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to squinn@dnews.com.