Crawford Co. R-II board names Bond Architects, approves lighting, playground and abatement contracts for bond projects

The Crawford Co. R‑II Board of Education voted to advance several bond-funded capital projects, approving a design firm and multiple vendor agreements to prepare for construction work this summer and fall.

Owner’s representative Matt of Nav Building Solutions told the board the district condensed some 24–25 project scopes into six bid packages to speed procurement and implementation. "We were hired to act as your owner's representative for implementing all the bond project funds," Matt said, explaining the RFQ and interview process that led to the recommendation.

The board unanimously approved (six yes, one absent) Bond Architects as the district’s design firm for the capital projects after interviews with three firms. The owner’s representative and board members cited Bond Architects’ readiness, prior K‑12 experience and prepared layouts as reasons for the selection.

In follow-up actions the board approved several contractor proposals tied to specific bid packages. For hazardous‑materials scoping, the board accepted Wellington Environmental’s proposal for asbestos/demolition surveying to identify materials (including two underground storage tanks) and inform abatement and demolition bids. The board also approved Wellington Environmental for AHERA inspection and testing related to older campus buildings.

On athletic field lighting, the board reviewed two competitive proposals and selected Techline Sport Lighting through a cooperative purchase agreement, removing a $34,000 pole‑disposal alternate to stay within budget and meet a fall installation timeline for football and softball. The owner’s representative said both vendors planned to meet the seasonal schedule and that utility coordination on meter relocation was part of the plan.

For the elementary playground, the board approved a cooperative purchase agreement with Land Design including the turf alternate and the installation of a donated swing set; the board also approved a local bid from All Type Fence to extend playground fencing (approximately 370 linear feet). Board members discussed drainage concerns and under‑drain design; the owner’s representative recommended involving the civil engineer during design to assess downstream capacity and possible grading or additional drains.

Votes recorded on all capital items were unanimous among those present (six yes, one absent). The owner’s representative presented a budget snapshot tied to the $8.5 million bond, showing construction and soft‑cost allocations with contingencies; he said the board had about $600,000 of planned cushion included in the presented figures and that staff would provide periodic updates as contracts are executed.

Actions at a glance: the board approved Bond Architects for design services; Wellington Environmental for asbestos surveying and AHERA inspection; Techline Sport Lighting for field lighting (cooperative purchase, pole‑disposal alternate removed); Land Design for playground surfacing with turf alternate and swing‑set installation; and All Type Fence for extended playground fencing.

The board asked staff and the owner’s representative to return with updated cost tracking and schedules as vendor agreements are finalized and to confirm warranty terms (particularly lighting warranties) before construction begins.