Carlisle board awards middle school construction contract; administration says bids leave room under estimate

The Carlisle Area School District Board of Directors voted to award the construction contract for the new Carlisle Middle School after administration presented bid results showing multiple competitive low bids and selected alternates that reduced overall projected costs.

Colleen (superintendent) told the board that bids came in across trades and the district accepted the lowest responsible bidders: Lowbar as general contractor, Barfield for HVAC and electrical, Iron Eagle Excavating for site work and J.R. Reynolds for plumbing. She said the project — after choosing alternates including aluminum interior framing and committing to site work at the old Bel Air Elementary — was approximately $10.4 million under the original estimated construction costs. "All said and done, we are $10.4 million under the estimated construction costs," the superintendent reported.

The project scope was amended to include a roughly 500-seat auditorium, a roundabout on Wagner's Gap (more expensive than the previously expected traffic signal), and additional parking/utility work at the Bel Air site. Administration said the aluminum interior frames were chosen for lower long-term maintenance (less painting) and that design changes reduced some square footage while preserving key program spaces such as the media center, auditorium and collaborative zones.

Board members asked about financing after the updated numbers; administration said PFM had been given the updated figures and preliminary financing scenarios would be available on April 9. The superintendent also described savings from competitive bidding in HVAC and other trades and noted there remain future renovation bids (e.g., Moreland) outstanding.

The board moved and approved the building contract award resolution for the new Carlisle Middle School by voice vote.

What happens next: administration said it will finalize bid paperwork and work with financial advisors on borrowing scenarios; the board approved the award and the project will proceed into contractor mobilization and preconstruction work per the contract schedule.