The Christian County School Board has given the green light to proceed with the consolidation of their high schools. They have granted approval to the bids that will initiate construction of the unified high school and have also chosen a new name for the institution.
Among the 29 bids that received approval, the construction expenses for the project amount to $106.4 million. After accounting for additional expenses like contingency funds, technology, furniture, and equipment, the comprehensive cost of the project totals $131 million. Furthermore, the board has sanctioned four alternative bids, which encompass the construction of a competition gymnasium and groundwork to prepare for future athletic facilities.
Tim Geegan, representing Alliance Corporation as the project’s construction manager, presented the bids for authorization. Clarifying the project’s financial aspects, Jessica Darnell, the Director of Finance, explained that the funding stems from a blend of bonding capacity, federal and state grants, and available general revenue funds.
Additionally, the board has endorsed a lease agreement between the board and the Christian County School District Finance Corporation. This agreement empowers the Finance Corporation to issue and sell revenue bonds in connection with the consolidation of the high school project. Alongside this, the board has passed a resolution expressing the school board’s commitment to allocating general fund revenue annually toward the project’s cost.
Concurrent with the bid approvals, the board has also finalized decisions regarding the school’s identity. The newly merged high school will be known as Christian County High School. Superintendent Chris Bentzel underscored that this name signifies the consolidation of traditions and heritage from various schools in Christian County.
The chosen mascot for the school will be the Tigers, with the primary school colors being orange, black, and blue. There is also the possibility of incorporating secondary colors such as gold and white.
Alliance Corporation will continue its role as the construction manager for the project, although they did submit a withdrawal request for their bid for general trades, which was subsequently approved by the board.
In a subsequent special meeting, officers for the Christian County Finance Corporation were appointed. School board member Tom Bell was designated as Chair, Lindsey Clark as Vice-Chair, Superintendent Bentzel as Secretary, and Darnell as Treasurer. The Finance Board then authorized the sale of bonds through Baird Financial, amounting to approximately $86 million.
