Education Notebook | Horry Schools' 'written determination' explains choice of building bidding method
The Horry County Board of Education approved a "written determination" regarding its new schools building project during their work session earlier this month.
The board threw out conceptual design plans for five new schools in November citing their need to request and review energy-efficient designs.
"These energy-positive schools will save us a lot of money in the future and help pay for operations," Joe DeFeo, board chairman, said.
The determination approved the use of a design-build delivery method for the five new schools. Design-build gives an architect a single contract for design and construction of a facility.
"We realized, after we put out the original call for architects, we may not get the buildings built as fast as we would like with the design-bid-build delivery method," DeFeo said.
The board has used the design-bid-build method – which employs different contracts for architects and construction companies – almost exclusively for several years, according to the determination.
Renovation projects to two schools – North Myrtle Beach Middle and Midland Elementary – will use the integrated project delivery method, DeFeo said. This gives the district control over the renovations but leaves the responsibility of budget and timeline deadlines to the contracted companies.
The determination said the selected methods are meant to be the "most advantageous to the district and will result in the most timely, economical, and successful completion of the construction project."
The written determination is intended to provide taxpayers with a view of the district's decision-making process, "so as to safeguard the quality and integrity of the contract awards through public accountability."
Horry County Schools' next step is to develop design requirements for the new schools, which leaves "responsibility for performance conforming with those requirements to the outside entity," according to the determination.
"The voters will have to decide if the wait [for new schools] was worth it," DeFeo said. "I think future parents and students will definitely decide it was worth the wait."
AAST students take home championships
Three students from the Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology took home individual awards from the 2014-2015 S.C. State Beta convention.
The winners are: Brandon Lynch, S.C. math division II champion; Elizabeth Snyder-Mounts, creative writing competition division I champion; and Blaker Parker, S.C. science competition division I champion.
The National Beta Club, founded in 1934, is the largest independent educational youth organization in America. Students must have – and maintain – a 3.8 GPA or higher and must bank community service hours.
For more information about AAST’s BETA club, visit aast.horrycountyschools.net or call 903-8460.
This story was originally published February 22, 2015 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Education Notebook | Horry Schools' 'written determination' explains choice of building bidding method."