Any time Great Bend receives a substantial rain, the staff at the Great Bend High School can expect a few wet spots in their building.
A number of leaks influenced the USD 428 Board of Education to approve the installation of a new roof at the high school. USD 428 sent out eight bid packets on April 6 for the first of three sections to be re-roofed.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Khris Thexton says out of the eight packets sent out only one returned with an actual bid.
Khris Thexton Audio
The school board accepted the lone bid from Washington Roofing and Insulation. The Great Bend business submitted a bid of $121,880. Thexton said because the district was very specific on the material to be used on the roof, other roofing companies may have been unable to submit a bid.
Khris Thexton Audio
In January, the school board was prepared to budget over a million dollars for the roofing project. The first section did come significantly under budget. USD 428 budgeted $295,000 for the first section.
Section one will be completed this summer by the end of July. The next two phases will be spaced out over the next three years.