FRONT ROYAL — Leslie Fox Keyser is set to get a $13 million facelift.

The Warren County School Board during a special Wednesday meeting approved a $13 million bid from Lantz Construction Winchester. That includes a $12.3 million base bid to replace the school's HVAC system. Also approved were six alternate bid items estimated at $675,900 that the School Board was counseled could be approved in the following order:

1. Upgrading the gymnasium and platform stage, adding an operable partition wall and replacing the gym floor

2. Installing solar daylighting devices at each classroom pod

3. Replacing exterior windows in existing openings

4. Providing kitchen upgrades including replacing a walk-in cooler freezer and dishwasher, making counter modifications and replacing the floor

5. Modifying the cafeteria and removing the stage structure, building a storage room and a new window and replacing the floor

6. Modifying the library by building casework including a reception desk, new windows and flooring

The renovations will be covered by $10.2 million in grant funding and $2.3 million of county-appropriated capital funding. Also slated to be used is $2.3 million in surplus funds from the last two academic years, which is still going through the county's auditing process and hasn't been approved for the School Board's use.

Potentially $12.3 million will be set aside for the project after accounting for a contingency fund, cabling and technology fees, architectural and engineering fees, and a third party plan review. While that is under the $13 million bid, the School Board does not intend to ask Lantz Construction to complete all of the alternate bid items that the contractor suggested and which the board approved for funding. Instead, the board hopes to eliminate individual items once Lantz begins the project.

George "Buck" Smith Jr., assistant superintendent for administration, explained to the School Board that the alternate bid items should be considered in numerical order.

“Alternative Item 1 should be our first one that we’ve pre-valued or predetermined [as one they can afford],” he said. “And then you can take that item and then you can keep working down the list, but, in other words, you can’t shop.”

Doing so, he said, “may have an impact on the awarding of the bid itself.”

School Board Melanie Salins, who is also on the schools building committee, noted that the San Jose Construction v. Loudoun County court case demonstrated the problem with cherry-picking from alternate bid items. Since Warren County's main concerns are items 1 and 2, if those are cut, all six must be cut. Based on the order in which the alternate items are stated in the bid document, Salins said, “That’s what we’re stuck with at this point.”

Board of Supervisors Chair Cheryl Cullers noted that the 46-year-old exterior windows will need to be replaced so that the new HVAC system runs efficiently.

She added that current library shelving poses a safety issue that could cause a child's hand to get stuck. She also explained that the gym updates will be necessary in a couple of years and might as well be done now.

The building committee did agree that not every item listed as alternate bids are necessary.

School Board member Ralph Rinaldi suggested potentially whittling down the base bid.

“They have the ability to cut some out,” County Supervisor Walter Mabe agreed.

Although the school division has the money to spend on the entire proposal, they’re hoping to save about $500,000 from the LFK project to help fund 13.5 new positions that will cost more than $1 million.

“The way I’m viewing it is, potentially, are we placing the higher value on the 13 and half positions for this year or this $500,000 worth of renovations?” Salins said.

The estimated completion of the LFK project is August 2024.

Contact Josette Keelor at jkeelor@nvdaily.com

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