District 93 looking for contractors again
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IDAHO FALLS — Bonneville Joint School District 93 will be reopening the application process for construction companies to build the new high school.
Recently District 93 learned the original company chosen, Hughes General Contractors of Utah, was not currently licensed, and the second company chosen had application problems and license issues as well.
“We decided the best interest for the district was to go through the process again,” said Brian McBride, District 93 trustee.
Facing overcrowding at Bonneville and Hillcrest high schools, patrons approved a nearly $64 million bond to build a new high school.
The district began looking for contractors in November. Originally five different contractors were interviewed for the job, and Hughes was chosen because of its experience building high schools.
Starting March 1, the district will release advertisements to construction firms regarding the building of the new high school. The deadline for companies to submit applications is March 15. The school district will then conduct interviews between March 23 and 25 to find the right firm for the job. The contract is still open to anyone who meets the jobs requirements both in and out of state.
“There is no one to blame,” said McBride. “We thought those in the proposal were licensed, but they weren’t. It was unfortunate, but we can now learn and move forward to getting good contractors to build.”
McBride said the process of hiring a new contractor will not affect the construction timeline, and the school is still scheduled to open in fall 2018.