SHERMAN - The Sherman Central School board is re-evaluating the third phase of its capital project after bids for the work came in higher than anticipated.
"Bids came in considerably higher than we liked," said Kaine Kelly, district superintendent. "We were forced to take a hard look at what our base was and what alternates were high priority."
Kelly sat down with engineers from E.E. Austin and Sons, who are currently completing phase two of the project, to review ways to lower costs for phase three. One possibility is to roll the HVAC portion of the projecting into a state-funded energy-efficiency project, Kaine said. Under this project, New York state monitors and approves companies which can prove they will provide energy savings.
If approved by the state, the school's energy project can move quickly because it is already in the current design, Kelly said.
"Our upgrading the infrastructure and heating was smart," he said.
Kelly also noted there is $130,000 left over from the first phase of the project, which only needs clearance from the state to be used on phase three.
Kelly also recently took board members on a tour of the current renovations in the school. Workers put in 12-hour days to complete the work before the first day of school, he said.
In other business, the board approved $137,500 to be transferred for the final retirement package for Thomas Schmidt, former district superintendent. The board also set the tuition for students coming to Sherman from other school districts at $2,743, most of which will be paid by the student's school district.