The good news: Carmel Clay Schools received 36 bids to construct the Carmel High School Polytechnic addition and renovations.
The bad news: The bids came in significantly higher than initial estimates.
The Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees Nov. 13 voted unanimously to award bids totaling $14.7 million to 11 contractors to complete the work, approximately $2 million higher than the latest estimate.
At the school board meeting, CCS Associate Superintendent Roger McMichael said the district received more bids than other recent projects had generated and that many of the bids were similar in cost. Despite the final financial estimate being made just weeks before taking the project to bidders, McMichael said rising inflation and workforce issues led to the cost being higher than expected.
“In today’s world, you can’t rely on whatever a project bid, even a few weeks ago, because the price just changes,” he said. “Most of us who have been around for a while have not seen an environment like this. It’s not just in Carmel. Others are having the same challenges.”
The project is being funded as part of $39 million in bonds approved by the school board in March. The work at CHS includes expanded and improved space on the north side of the high school for students studying construction, culinary arts and other job-related skills. Other projects funded through the bond include mid-cycle renovations at several campuses, technology upgrades throughout the district and construction of a building at the CHS football stadium with restrooms, concessions and locker rooms.
McMichael said construction costs have ballooned in the last several years, making project estimates more difficult than they used to be.
“At the end of the day, the marketplace tells us what it’s going to cost,” he said.
