The Fayette

County Board of Education took steps Monday afternoon to get the ball

rolling on construction of three elementary schools and a high school

to be paid for by the newest bond referendum.

School Superintendent

Dr. John DeCotis made the following recommendations concerning the elementary

school construction program:

Select DWB

Architects Inc. as the architect for all three elementary schools.

Accept DWB's

offer to provide a full-time architectural representative at no charge.

Authorize

the superintendent to develop a set of qualifications required by construction

contractors so that contractors may be screened before being permitted

to bid.

Direct the

architect to develop preliminary plans and specifications, if feasible

and resources become available, for bidding to add six classrooms to the

elementary prototype design.

Develop a

contract to address incentives and stipulations for completion of projects,

and provide them on a project-by-project basis in case problems arise

and someone else should be brought in for the second or third school project.

The last recommendation

came as a result of discussion at Monday's work session and concerns that

the school system be adequately protected in case work is not done properly.

DeCotis said

that DWB has already developed a prototype elementary school plan and

is ready to get to work as soon as possible.

As for the

high school construction program, DeCotis recommended that an internal

committee consisting of local engineers and other relevant staff meet

with the architectural firm of Manley, Spangler and Smith to discuss the

feasibility of using plans that company developed for Sandy Creek High

School as a prototype for the new high school. He also recommended moving

forward with plans for a construction management program, which board

members agreed was imperative for construction of the high school and

probably the best idea for the elementary schools as well.

Those recommendations

were amended slightly when board member Greg Powers said that he wanted

staff to proceed with looking at other architectural firms while meeting

with Manley, Spangler and Smith, so that alternatives could be considered.

Both construction

programs were approved unanimously.