Education agency acts on Beatrice School architect, construction manager steps

BEATRICE – The agency that will oversee the financing for a new Beatrice Public Schools Prekindergarten through fifth grade elementary school took a series of actions on the project, Monday.

The Southeast Nebraska Education Agency approved the school district board's selection of BCDM Architects, to design the building. It also approved selecting a construction-manager-at-risk method of building the facility, as well as criteria to consider in selection of the construction firm.

Beatrice School Superintendent Jason Alexander, Chairperson of the interlocal agency, said one of the next steps is to seek construction management proposals.

"We will be working with our legal counsel on an RFP for a construction manager at risk...that will go out, and then there will be a thirty day waiting period, when those will come back in. We will start narrowing those down with help from the attorney...and after that, we will have an interview process, after which we'll select a construction manager at risk. The time frame of that, we're looking at probably end of January, first of February."

A committee of about ten persons will review the proposals, based on a list of eight criteria.

The Southeast Nebraska Education Agency also authorized the Beatrice Public School District to obtain builder’s risk insurance coverage for both the agency and the district.

The school district is hoping to start construction in July, using a method of financing where bonds issued are backed by the district’s current building fund levy…instead of a traditional bond issue that would require additional property tax support.