Van Buren BOE Approves Bid For School Improvements

The Van Buren County School Board approved some $260,000 of capital improvements that include a roof repair at the pre-k school.

Director of Schools Cheryl Cope said the project would also replace some doors and windows at the school and the CTE building.

“These are older buildings that sometimes leak around the windows and doors,” Cope said. “Then, there is one door at the Elementary School, because it is in pretty rough shape as well as the middle school and high school.”

Cope said entire thresholds will be redone to hopefully stop leaking issues. Cope said the contractor indicated a 200 day completion time once work begins.

“We received two bids and so, that was a good thing,” Cope said. “At least it was two competing against each other. We were glad to have two.”

Cope said the projects are a part of the district’s spending plan of federal COVID money. Cope said the bid came in over $100,000 under budget, so the school board will have some extra money to spend.

“We’re trying to do one ESSER project at a time,” Cope said. “We’re trying to get two completed this school year, and maybe two completed next school year. This ESSER 3.0 has to be spent by 2024.”