Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

District Presses Pause on $13M in Construction Projects

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/14/21

The St. Clair R-XIII School District in St. Clair, Mo., announced last week that it will delay several planned construction projects due to a spike in the cost of materials. The school board voted on Thursday, June 10, to pause the wheels of construction on a bus bay ($1.644 million), a new auditorium ($11-12 million), and a pickup and drop-off loop ($340,000).

At the board meeting, members cited the example of lumber costs. A two-by-four was slated to cost $14, while members recalled the same product costing between $2 and $5 during previous, personal home renovation projects.

Other projects will continue, including the installation of a $444,000 safety vestibule in the elementary and junior high schools; and renovations at St. Clair Junior High consisting of a handicap-accessible toilet stall to a women’s restroom ($27,500); a family restroom ($28,200); and installing $3,500 in vestibule carpeting. Work will also continue on projects already in progress, including a $413,000 track and a $386,000 grandstand.

All of the above projects, both those slated to continue and those that have been delayed, were intended to be funded by a $12.75 million bond issue that voters passed in June 2020.

“I want to pause on a lot of things,” said district superintendent Dr. Kyle Kruse. “I have a hard time really wanting to pause on safety.”

According to the original terms of the bond issue agreement, the money must be spent within three years of receiving it. The bond issuer, LJ Hart & Co., has said that it will consider extending the deadline under reasonable circumstances. The school board said at its June 2 meeting that it will return to the delayed projects “in a few months” to price-check construction materials.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.