Tipp City Exempted Village School District approves GMP 2.2 for high school renovation

The Tipp City Exempted Village School District board approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) 2.2 building package for the high school renovation at a special meeting on March 13, 2026. The motion passed on a roll call after district and contractor representatives reviewed budget details and allowances.

Board member Dillard and Board member Thompson were recorded voting in favor when the roll was called; other members responded in the affirmative and the motion passed. Mr. Stevens conducted roll call. The approved GMP covers work assigned to Shook Construction as the contractor for the high school package.

District and contractor representatives said the high school project is currently under budget and that several allowances — including a furniture allowance and a parking-lot allowance — are included within the GMP and the overall contingency. Officials said those allowances are estimates and could come in lower or higher, and that any overages would be paid from project contingency dollars built into the GMP. One district representative summarized the approach as using available funds for "safety and security" and long-term durability rather than routine operational costs.

Officials described the contingency structure in more detail: they referenced roughly $2.2 million in owner contingencies across projects and noted specific line items such as a $1.88 million allocation for parts of the work. They also explained that some contingencies are project-specific (for example, the PK8 project has its own contingency) and that the contractor's (Shook's) contract contains its own contingency for contractor-side risks.

The board and staff clarified approval authorities for change orders. The district said administrative authority is available for change orders under $100,000; change orders exceeding $100,000 must be returned to the board for approval. District staff and the contractor also explained that certain items (for example, future design bulletins) are excluded from the GMP unless later documented via change orders or other formal approvals.

On funding sources, staff said building funds covered under the GMP cannot be used for day-to-day operations and described the district's current use of PI-levy funds in place of a separate half-mill transfer for portions of the project funding; a prior fund transfer approved in January was referenced. Officials said they will present lists of possible additional upgrades or priorities to the board for future consideration if there is remaining budget capacity, emphasizing that any spending above the board's approval thresholds would require board action.

The board adjourned the special meeting at 9:49 a.m.

Next steps: district staff and the contractor will proceed with execution of the GMP 2.2 package and track contingency use; any change orders above the $100,000 threshold must be presented to the board for approval.