The School Board will decide next week which firm will potentially lead major renovations within the district after hearing presentations from candidates Monday night.

Straub Construction, Universal Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Newkirk Novak Construction Partners and Nabholz Construction presented proposals to serve as construction manager. 

Voters will decide in May whether to approve a nearly $40 million bond resolution meant to expand the high school, renovate the middle school’s entrance and renovate the West Resource Center to use for early childhood education, among other projects.

The firms talked about their mission statements, how they will manage supply chain issues, inflation and safety. 

After the interviews, the board scored each of the firms. Newkirk Novak Construction received the highest score from the combined points. 

The firms were scored on experience and references, project team and resumes, identification and solution of critical issues in preconstruction and construction, guaranteed max price development, safety, schedule and cost management. 

The board decided to wait to vote on the construction manager until the March 9 meeting. 

John Novak and Lynn Newkirk, co-founders of Newkirk Novak Construction Partners, presented with many of their employees.

The firm focused on community engagement and company qualifications. Novak described the firm as transparent, relationship driven, responsive, nimble, experienced and a long-term partner.

“We know how important these projects are to the community and having somebody simply to manage that process because these are big deals with communities,” Novak said.

Spencer Brown, project manager, spoke about his experience with constructing gyms, secure entries and classroom additions. 

The firm discussed ways they could help engage with Eudora by supporting the bond campaign, being a good communicator, and getting students and community involved throughout the construction process. 

Lauren Kepler, director of business development, said they will make sure the community has trust and confidence in their plans. Kepler proposed creating a website to house updates and photos of the projects on campus. 

Kepler said they are willing to give monthly updates at board meetings, help host and plan open houses, and other forums to engage the community. 

“Finally, we will be involved in your community for both the student perspective and the community stakeholder perspective,” she said.

Board member Heather Whalen asked how the group will address communication issues when tensions may run high. 

Newkirk said regular meetings with subcontractors and architects help establish good communication. 

“It’s just a matter of really understanding where the challenges are and just over communicating. We’re often in front of the board presenting on monthly workings, updates, etc. Love to do that,” Newkirk said. 

Other candidates for the job presented the following:

• Straub Construction: The firm discussed its focus on community involvement, including supporting nonprofit partners and other school districts. Pre-construction is of major importance now more than ever because of material shortages and delays. The main priority of the project superintendent is quality and safety. The group has experience with K-12 schools and recently finished work on St. James Academy. 

• Universal Constriction: Universal worked on the previous Eudora bond issue in 2007. This gives the firm experience with Eudora community needs, and it has employees on staff who worked on the schools previously. K-12 is a priority for the company as it has completed 37 bond issues for districts. The pre-construction manager has focused on K-12 education for 10 years at Universal, which gives him expertise in the area. 

• McCownGordon Construction: The company focused on engaging and connecting with the Eudora community while being an advocate for the district. McCownGordon considers what is in the best interest of the district’s students and its stakeholders. The employees have experience with smaller projects like deferred maintenance, early childhood, as well as K-12 projects. There was discussion about how they could cut the time needed to complete many of the projects.  

• Nabholz Construction: Nabholz said it has a pulse on the work shortage and material shortage and is prepared to handle the issues before they arise. The pre-construction team has experience with boots on the ground work to help give perspective on the various issues. The firm gives subcontractors a construction managers manual that outlines the plans to clearly define expectations. There would be weekly updates on progress for the district and community to understand where the money and time is being spent. 

Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]