CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DEMONSTRATE EXCELLENCE WITH VALUE

Little Miami Local Schools and the project team from Quandel/Dugan & Meyers are continuing to provide Excellence with Value as construction moves forward. All three projects are in progress and have been celebrating successes along the way. Bid Activity

LMLS and Quandel/Dugan & Meyers are pleased with the bids that have been received on both the new junior high school and the high school addition. The bids for these two schools were 1.12% and 9.4% under budget, respectively. Additionally, the amount of participation from the bidding community has been fantastic, resulting in extremely competitive bids. The first bid package — early sitework — at the new intermediate school was bid this past summer and was significantly under budget. The remaining work will go out to bid in early 2008 after the design has been completed.

One contract was awarded to the locally owned Charles H. Hamilton Company, who has completed sitework for the new junior high and is continuing at the new intermediate school. It is always exciting to be able to obtain local involvement, and the Charles H. Hamilton Company has been no less than excellent in their performance.

Schedule

Another success to celebrate is the success of the schedule. It is probably even more accurate in the construction world to say that "time is money," and this team is not wasting any time. As with any project, the weather can affect productivity, but this team is staying on track. All three projects are on or ahead of schedule. The results of all the hard work is easy to see as the walls literally start coming up around the Little Miami Local Schools landscape. One scheduled event of special importance to the LMLS basketball fans is that the entryway at the high school is on-schedule to be reopened in time for the first home basketball game.

Community & Staff

Little Miami Local Schools and the Quandel/Dugan & Meyers team recognize the impact this project can have on the community and staff; therefore the entire team is committed to making this process an exciting and positive one throughout its duration. Quandel/Dugan & Meyers' superintendents Bucky Henderson and Fred Lawrence and LMLS teacher Don Muchmore recently demonstrated part of that commitment when they discovered that money CAN grow on trees! When the sitework for the new junior high school began earlier in the summer, there were many trees that needed to be removed to clear the site. The team contacted a local logging company for salvaging the trees and in just two days, this crew of four removed fourteen trees, some of which were nearly 100 years old. Because of the foresight in this team's approach, more than 2,200 board feet were processed and the trees were sold which resulted in nearly $3000 for the district.

In August, LMLS hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of the work at the high school and the new junior high. Students, staff and community members were invited to grab a shovel and take part in the ceremonial turning of the dirt.

A smaller ceremony took place at the site of the new junior high school several weeks later. Quandel/Dugan & Meyers superintendent, Bucky Henderson, collected signatures from faculty and staff members of the new school by having them sign a concrete block. This block represented the first block set in the ground at the new building. Although groundwork for the new 5/6 intermediate school is already underway, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for early in Spring 2008. The community and LMLS faculty and staff will be invited to participate.

The High School Addition will open next fall. Both the Junior High and Intermediate Schools will open Fall 2009.