A $2.627 million contract to construct a partial building replacement at Sappington Elementary School was awarded last week by the Lindbergh Board of Education.

Board members voted 5-0 during a special meeting Oct. 16 to award the $2.627 contract to the J.E. Foster Building Co.

Though board Treasurer Katie Wesselschmidt attended the special meeting, she was not present for the vote, according to Pat Lanane, assistant superintendent for finance and the district’s chief financial officer.

Board President Mark Rudoff participated in the meeting by telephone. Under the provisions of the Missouri Open Meetings and Records Act, also called the Sunshine Law, he could not vote because the meeting was not called because of an emergency.

Two bids for the project were received. Besides J.E. Foster, BSI Constructors submitted a bid of $2.793 million. Because no bids for the project were received by the original cut-off date, the deadline was extended to Oct. 9.

The partial building replacement at Sappington Elementary is an estimated $8.55 million project and is being funded with revenue from Proposition R, which was approved by district voters last November.

Proposition R is described by Lindbergh administrators as a no-tax-rate-increase $32 million bond issue.

The district’s debt-service tax rate will remain unchanged at 38 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, but it will be extended for a six-year period.

Besides the partial building replacement at Sappington and a minor building addition at Kennerly Elementary School, Prop R will fund a variety of other projects in schools throughout the district.

These include new roofs, the replacement of rooftop HVAC units, classroom doors that lock from the inside for elementary schools, fire alarms and security cameras in most buildings.

On Oct. 9, the Board of Education voted unanimously to award contracts totaling more than $6.7 million for work at Sappington and Kennerly.

In separate votes, the board voted:

• To award a $1,384,590 contract to Leonard Masonry, the low bidder, for masonry work at Sappington and Kennerly. Three bids were submitted for the work.

• To award a $530,861 contract to the Kirberg Co., the low bidder, for roofs at Sappington. Six bids were submitted for the work.

• To award a $162,746 contract to Engineered Fire Pro, the low bidder, for fire-protection systems at Sappington and Kennerly. Three bids were submitted for the work.

• To award a $820,512 contract to the R.F. Meeh Co., the low bidder, for mechanical systems at Sappington and Kennerly. Four bids were submitted for the work.

• To award a $509,500 contract to Trojahn Plumbing, the low bidder, for plumbing at Sappington and Kennerly. Five bids were submitted for the work.

• To award a $1,355,281 contract to Bell Electric for electrical work at Sappington and Kennerly. Five bids were submitted for the work.

Superintendent Jim Sandfort said, “… I think that may be best bid rather than low bid. Is that not correct?”

Told that he was correct, Sandfort said, “So change that recommendation to best bid rather than low bid.”

• To award a $1,527,500 contract to J.E. Novack Construction, the low bidder, to construct the addition at Kennerly. Four bids were submitted for the project.

• To award a $416,271 contract to the Bade Roofing Co., the low bidder, for roofs at Kennerly. Six bids were submitted for the work.

Pat Lanane, assistant superintendent for finance and the district’s chief financial officer, told the Call that the Proposition R projects are within budget.