The Wright City R-II School District is requesting contractor bids for the first phase of construction of a new high school and other facilities. 

The district is seeking bids for the new high school, which will be located at 159 Roelker Road in Wright City, and for the addition of four classrooms to East Elementary School. 

According to the advertisement for bids, the high school will include new construction of up to 125,000 square feet of a one-story high school with a gym as a storm shelter, classrooms, library, cafetorium, kitchen, along with site work and athletic facilities. The district is also seeking bids for the four-classroom addition at East Elementary School, which is expected to encompass about 5,300 square feet. The addition will include two restrooms, storage and a corridor to classrooms. The addition will be designed as a storm shelter for everyone on campus.

“I feel confident enough in this first bid package that we’re going to be in good shape,” Wright City R-II Superintendent Chris Berger said. “Because that’s really some of the core elements of the project.”

The district will have three alternate bids — separate, itemized additions — to consider when the total bids come back for the high school and East Elementary. A football and soccer stadium, baseball and softball field, and performance gymnasium will all be considered by the board after the bids are submitted. Berger said the three potential improvements will be bid as alternates to give the school board the latitude to hold discussions and make decisions if the funds are not available for all three alternates. If this is the case, the board will discuss the best way to proceed at that time. 

“We’ll wait and see on whether we can take those alternates or not,” Berger said. “But the core package at the high school is of the highest priority.” 

School board president Austin Jones said district leaders did their due diligence with the bids and received a third party estimate for the cost of the project. The purpose of the third party estimate was to take into account fluctuations in the construction market. Jones noted the board has not had a conversation about what they expect from the bids.

“I can only speak for myself,” Jones said. “And given the fact that the district has used the third party estimate, which represents the worst case scenario, I am cautiously optimistic the bids will fall within the projections.”

Jones stressed the district’s plan has always been to prioritize completing the core projects, which are the academic component of the high school and East Elementary expansion.

“The language of both Propositions 1967 and 2025 support this,” Jones said, referencing funding measures approved by voters in April. “The final proposals will include bids for the list of alternatives the school board approved. If the bids are high, then the school district will make choices as to which alternatives to accept and which ones to forgo. The decisions will always keep the best interests of the students in mind.”

The bid due date is before 2 p.m. Nov. 10. The anticipated completion date for the addition to East Elementary School is no later than August 2024. 

The substantial completion date for the high school is not later than November 2024. The required start date will be determined by the contractor. The school district anticipates issuing notice of bid award on Nov. 17.