NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (RVO) by John Gerow – In a move that has taken the community by surprise, the Redbank Valley School Board voted unanimously this evening to approve a Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) for Superintendent Michael Drzewiecki, effective on Wednesday, April 24, 2018.

Bound by confidentiality, the Board could not discuss details of the FMLA request in their public meeting.  All of the Directors voted to accept the request.  Keith Copenhaver and  Dee Bell were absent.

The vote on Mr.  Drzewiecki came after a 90 minute discussion on the bidding process to renovate the track at the High School.  Mr. Stephen Parks of Parks & Associates Architects in Hollidaysburg, PA presented three bids for the track renovations.  Nagle Athletic Surfaces of Syracuse, NY was the apparent low bidder for the track resurfacing with a job bid at $390,000.  The next closest bid was $427,350 or 9.48% higher.  A third bid came in at $479,400.  Three additional small jobs were bid  separately.  The first being 600 feet of electric conduit to the 25 second clocks at the football field, the second being a hydroblox drainage system along the track and some crushed aggregate along part of the track.  Nagle was also low bidder on the conduit and the hydroblox drainage.

Mr. Parks gave a thorough explanation of what he presented to the contractors for their bid preparation.  His materials consisted of several schematic drawings and more than 60 pages of description and specifications for the job.  Board Member Darren Bain was concerned that the bid for the track renovation as a “lump sum” bid without a break out value assigned to the various aspects of the bid.  Mr. Parks attempted to explain that the contractors prepared their bids based on his 60+ pages of specifications and that if the contractor under bid any portion of the job, then the contractor is liable for the difference.

Mr. Parks explained that the actual per item cost will come through when the contractor bills for the work, but that the final total will come to the amount of the bid.  The winning bidder will contract and bond themselves to that bid.  Any changes in specs or amounts would have to be negotiated between the District and the contractor.  Mr Bain ended by saying that he could not vote for the bid as presented without more information on specific item costs.  Mr. Parks said that he would try to contact Nagle and get some additional information for the Board as quickly as possible.

ABOUT:
Redbank Valley School District provides education services for the 165 square mile area of New Bethlehem and Hawthorn boroughs, and the townships of Mahoning, Madison, Porter, and Redbank of both Clarion and Armstrong counties.

MEETINGS:
The Redbank Valley School Board meetings the first Monday of every month at 7pm at the High School Library.

CONTACT:
For more information about the Redbank Valley School District, please call 814.275.2426 or visit RedbankValley.org/pg/biz/redbank-valley-school-district