Board hears progress at East Elementary, raises questions about soil work and bid irregularities

The Cheboygan Area Schools board heard a detailed construction update on May 18 as Site Logic and district facilities staff described steady progress at East Elementary while flagging soil and bidding complications that could affect later phases.

Superintendent Spencer invited Site Logic superintendent Nate and district facilities director Steve to the podium to report that the elementary addition and classroom renovations are moving forward, inspections have been passed, and excavation and shoring work are imminent. "Things are going as planned," Nate said, adding that the project team expected excavation to begin within weeks and that some classroom work is already ahead of schedule.

Architects Becky and Pete told trustees the high school and intermediate school bid packages came in higher than projected and that one bidder omitted required line items, preventing an apples‑to‑apples comparison. That omission, plus concerns about soil recommendations in the engineering report, prompted the team to recommend a special board meeting to finalize contractor selection before bids expire. Becky said bids received April 28 typically expire one month later, making May 28 the effective deadline to act.

Board members pressed for clearer cost differentials tied to soil and foundation work and for options if the district disqualified a noncompliant bidder. "If you rebid, there's a high risk prices will increase," an architect cautioned, while trustees asked staff to quantify the financial impact of correcting soil issues and foundation changes.

Facilities director Steve also briefed the board on related site work: a recently discovered sinkhole near the track will be repaired; final surfacing and striping for the track are scheduled for early June; and tennis and pickleball courts await a sustained temperature above 50°F for final coating and striping. Middle school bleachers have been ordered and are expected to be replaced over the summer or early in the school year.

Trustees instructed administration and the architects to convene the special meeting to present final recommendations and cost comparisons prior to the May 28 bid expiration. The board emphasized it wants accurate, apples‑to‑apples figures before authorizing contractors for summer 2027 work.