Check here for regular updates
concerning the OHHS modernization

OHHS Construction Summary: See the list of projects, with completion dates; the financial breakdown for the projects; building "green" schools; the upcoming plan for ballfields and maintenance buildings; and a 30-year plan for maintaining our schools.


A-Wing Photo Update: May 4, 2010
A-Wing Photo Update: February 17, 2010
OHHS Open House and Community Celebration: January 13, 2010
Student Union Building opens to students: December 7, 2009
Auditorium Photo Update: November 18, 2009
Photo Update: November 1, 2009
Photo Update: October 1, 2009
Photo Update: September 1, 2009
Photo Update: August 11, 2009
Photo Update: June 11, 2009
Photo Update: May 13, 2009
Photo Update: March 18, 2009
Photo Update: February 27, 2009
Photo Update: February 19, 2009
Photo Update: February 5, 2009
Photo Update: January 16, 2009
Photo Update: Dec. 1, 2008

A-Wing - layout
New Commons Building - artist rendering and layout
New Career-Tech Building - artist rendering and layout
Timeline - graphic


September 15, 2008

High school construction bid comes in under budget
The winning bid for construction and modernization of Oak Harbor High School came in nearly $3.7 million under budget, project manager Gary Goltz told the Oak Harbor School Board Monday.

The board voted unanimously to accept the bid from Spee West Construction, of Edmonds, to be the general contractor for the high school project. Spee West earned the job with a bid of $39,290,000. The budget for the two-year construction project was set at $43 million.

As bids were opened for the lion's share of construction at Oak Harbor High School, it was all business around the table. Goltz read the numbers while representatives from four bidders wrote them down.

Minutes later, when Goltz sat down for a debriefing with Project Manager Mitch Romero, Superintendent Rick Schulte, and the architectural team from NAC, Inc, there were smiles all around. The sense of relief was evident on every face.

After years of planning, it all came down to the financial analysis of four general contractors. In recent years, contractors have been bidding high or not bidding at all because of an abundance of work available. With just one or two bids, large construction jobs like this one were going at a very high price, Schulte said. At the same time, the cost of construction materials was undergoing double-digit inflation.

"Many school districts have been caught without the funds to get the job done," Schulte said. "I think our timing was good. We planned for the worst, but I think we got the best."

The bid was planned to make sure they could afford the bare bones of what needed to be done, Goltz said. Contractors also bid on several "added alternatives" which allows the school district to get additional work done as long as it has the funds to finish the job. Added alternatives for the high school included the roof and flooring for the domed field house, replacing bleachers in the main gymnasium, and new metal athletic lockers. All of the additive bids were accepted and are included in the $39.3 million bid from Spee West.

The other three bids came in at $40.1 million, $41.9 million, and $46.4 million.

This is considered Phase 2 of the high school makeover. The first phase is already underway with the construction of the new Career-Technology Building on the campus. Ebenal Construction, the same firm that built the stadium, won that job with a bid of $7.7 million, about $1.1 million under budget.

"I can't say enough about our team of architects and engineers and project managers who fine-tuned this plan over the last two years," Schulte said. He singled out the work of Goltz and Romero for marketing the construction job to general contractors and subcontractors throughout the state.

With more available funds than expected, the school board approved increasing the contingency fund by $1.7 million, bringing that fund up to the industry standard of 12 percent. Goltz said the contingency fund is especially important in modernizations because "you never know what you might find once you start taking down walls."

The board also increased the Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment fund for the new high school by $500,000 to a total of $2 million. Both the contingency fund and furniture funds are now at the levels originally recommended and are more realistic for the job being done, Goltz said.

The high school is being funded through $54 million in bonds and an estimated $17.9 million in state match. The actual state match will not be known for a few weeks, but the latest estimate is $250,000 below the budgeted amount.

Altogether, between Phase 1 and Phase 2, after accepting all the added alternatives and increasing the various budgets, the $69.3 million high school modernization remains $2.6 million under budget.

The mechanical subcontractor for the high school will be Diamond B of Bellingham, which did the renovation work on Oak Harbor Elementary. The electrical contactor will be Allstate Electric of Arlington.