After months of study and deliberation, the Warren County R-III School Board last week declined to take action on constructing a new alternative school. The decision effectively puts the project on the back burner for the foreseeable future. The board met March 2 in a special session to review construction bids for a new facility and was expected to vote on the issue as part of its regular board meeting agenda March 10. When the matter came up on the agenda last week, none of the members made a motion to act on the bids, which killed the proposal for now. “In the end, the range of the bids was higher than the board felt comfortable proceeding with,” said Superintendent Dr. John Long. “At some point, the district may choose to revisit the issue with a lease deal or the purchase of an existing building, but for now, construction is off the table.” Nine companies presented bids for construction. Base bids ranged from $658,000 ($145.32 per square foot) submitted by Orf Construction to $783,000 ($172.92 per square foot) submitted separately by C. Rallo Contracting and Wright Construction Services. Alternate options such as two extra classrooms and concrete paving, pushed the bids as high as $1,039,100. Dickinson Hussman Architects (DHA) presented the bids for what architect Dwight Dickinson earlier described as “a very simple building design — no frills but well made.” The plan had been for a wood-frame construction with a sloped roof with shingles, with completion by the start of the new 2011-12 school year. The construction would have been on the site of the current alternative school facility. The Alpha Academy is now housed in a converted trailer located on Vosholl near Daniel Boone Elementary. The existing space is able to accommodate the school’s current enrollment of 25, but is stretched to the limit. Presently, there is a waiting list of about 25 more students who would like to attend, but are being turned away because of insufficient space. Last year, DHA presented a comprehensive audit of current facilities as the first phase of a pending long-range facilities plan to address the district’s numerous building and facilities needs. In its report, DHA noted that the classroom trailer for the alternative school should not be a permanent solution, noting less-than-ideal lighting and air flow, crowded conditions and safety inadequacy in the event of major storms. As the board discussed a new building, along the way members expressed concern about costs while agreeing on the basic need for a different structure. Construction would have required tapping into the district’s reserve fund for capital projects. “In the end, when the board saw the actual numbers coming in higher than many of them had expected, and weighed this against the state’s current financial situation, they were hesitant to go further,” said Long. Board President Teresa Scott and member Beth Banze excused themselves from the discussion about a vote, since both had interests in the construction process. T.S. Banze Construction was one of the bidders, and Scott’s family owns and operates Schraer Heating and Cooling, a potential subcontractor.