ALMIRA, Wash. — Just one month after a fire left Almira students without a school, the Almira School District held its fist virtual meeting over Zoom on Friday to discuss plans to rebuild.
The district chose four out of six prospect design-build team firms that applied to construct the new Almira school. Board members discussed what firms would be the best fit to build the new Almira school. The school board committee says six design-build companies applied to the project, but the committee will only consider four for interviews.
Only four out of the six companies that applied showed interest in the project and came down to Almira to see the place and talk in person with the school board, according to the district.
The school district will be interviewing the Absher Construction team with Integers Architecture and TW Clark Construction with Design West Architecture during its next school board meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 17, which will be held at 8 a.m. over Zoom and in-person at Almira Community Church.
The meeting will be open to the public. Board members school staff will be allowed to ask questions during the interview to members of the prospect firms.
The board says they are looking for a company that has availability and commitment to deliver the project on time.
At the next meeting, the school board will narrow its options down to two teams after the session and choose the teams that will progress to the free proposal effort, which is due on Nov. 22. Then on Nov. 29, the board will make a final decision and choose which firm will take over the school project that is expected to start next spring.
Here is the list of the next school board meetings:
- On Wednesday, Nov. 17, the special school board meeting will hold a Zoom and in-person meeting at Almira Community Church. The meeting will include interviews and presentations by design and build teams for construction of the new school. They will decide the teams to progress to the free proposal effort which are due Nov. 22.
- On Wednesday, Nov. 17, a regular school board meeting will take place over Zoom and in person at 5:30 p.m., in Almira Community Center. The meeting will be about reports, consent agenda, action items. The board will select teams to provide fee structure information to be considered at the Nov. 29 school board meeting.
- On Wednesday, Nov. 17, joint school board meeting will be held over Zoom and in person at Coulee-Hartline SD. The school board meeting will report and discussion on the Almira and Coulee/Hartline academic and extracurricular cooperative. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m.
- On Monday, Nov. 29, a special board meeting will be held over Zoom and in person at Almira Community Center. The School Board will be approving a bid and sectioning a design/build team. The meeting will be taking place at 5:30 p.m.