Lawrence firm gets project contract

GLPM Architects will design nearly $5 million in school improvements this year for the Lawrence school district.

The school board voted Monday to pay the Lawrence firm $212,700 for a variety of projects, including window replacement, heating and ventilation improvements, locker room renovations and athletic field improvements.

The $5 million in capital improvements is about $2 million more than last year, and up from $1.5 million the previous year.

“With that amount of work and specifications to be done, we need help from outside architectural services,” said Tom Bracciano, operations and facilities planning director. “Our staff is just too small.”

The other bid for the full slate of projects was $226,000 from Gould Evans and Associates, also of Lawrence. Ecological Architecture of Lawrence bid $64,250 for projects only at Lawrence High School and East Heights Early Childhood Family Center.

Board approves bond refinancing

The Lawrence school district will save $239,001.62 after refinancing its outstanding bonds.

The board voted Monday to sell bonds at a lower interest rate to reduce its debt. The previous rate was 4.38 percent; the new rate is 3.19 percent.

A report said the savings would help the district incur additional debt, including a bond issue for facilities the board is considering putting to public vote.