Contract awarded for Captain Walter Francis Duke E.S.

The St. Mary’s County Board of Education has awarded the construction contract for the new Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School in Leonardtown. The award of $23,698,550 was to J.A. Scheibel, Inc. of Huntingtown, which has done a number of projects for the school system in the past, the most recent being the Greenview Knolls E.S. HVAC replacement.

The construction award was issued during the school board regular August 28 meeting. Scheibel was the low bidder. But they failed to meet the Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) goal of seven percent African-American sub-contractors. They proposed 3.5 percent participation for African American firm and provided the school board with documentation on what they had done to try to secure a higher percentage, including contacting minority firms on the state-approved list. The board granted a waiver of the seven percent goal.

Within the contract price were three alternatives included in the bid: PVC fencing material, additional window blinds, and shade fabric. The alternates totaled $28,550.

Bid documents were mailed to five firms expressing an interest, and four responded, with the high bid of $25,630. The total cost of the project of $27,163,000 includes a $793,000 construction contingency along with amounts for design and construction administration, inspections and utilities, and furnishings. Of the total the state will kick in $12,751,000 and the county $14,412,000.

The bid award will now go to the state for approval. Director of Design and Construction Larry Hartwick told the board that he hoped approvals could be in hand so that the groundbreaking could occur in October.

The new school is modeled after Evergreen Elementary School and is intended to relieve overcrowding at that school and Leonardtown E.S. It is located on Route 245 on land incorporated into the town of Leonardtown. It is on the site of the former Hayden Farm which was acquired by the county commissioners. The site will also include a new future middle school and a county park.

Scheibel Construction is a 67-year-old company. In addition to school projects in St. Mary’s, they have also done additions/renovations to Calvert Memorial and MedStar St. Mary’s hospitals and the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home.