Brandon-Evansville School Board hears update on expansion project

EVANSVILLE — Construction documents in the design process of the Brandon-Evansville school expansion project should be ready next month.

Sean Lewis, senior project manager with ICS Consulting, made a presentation on the project at the regular meeting of the Brandon-Evansville School Board, which took place on Monday, June 20.

Lewis said bids for the project would open on June 21, and he will come back with more information on them, along with the construction documents, at the board's July meeting.

The next step will be to submit the plans to the state Department of Labor and Industry, which will provide review comments that will be incorporated into the documents, Lewis said.

District Superintendent Don Peschel also spoke about the project, and gave reports of recent city council meetings from both Brandon and Evansville.

Peschel said the Evansville City Council approved selling a portion of land to the district for $1.

The purchase had to be made because of the addition in the expansion project, Peschel said.

Lewis and Peschel also discussed the destruction of the abandoned 1917 Evansville building.

The bulk of the destruction is set to start after July 4, Lewis said.

Peschel said asbestos removal in the building is going smoothly, and some documentation must be removed from the building, as well.

Peschel added that safety should be a concern during the demolition because it is going to draw a crowd.

"We've got to talk to the demolition company and have a plan for safety, because people will show up," Peschel said.

The school board also approved the preliminary budget for the 2022-2023 school year.

According to a document provided by the district, the budgeted revenues total $9,065,855 and the budgeted expenditures total $10,424,149, leaving a deficit of $219,779, after the budget's beginning balance of $1,138,516 is included.

Peschel stressed that the budget is only preliminary and consists of projections.

"Our mentality … has been to budget extremely conservatively, so we try to take everything that could possibly go into account into the expenditure," he said. "We also are very conservative with what we feel our revenues are going to be. That makes it look like we're negative spending."

Peschel, who is leaving the district at the end of the month, thanked everyone for all they have done for the district during his time there.

"This has been a great time in my life," he said.

Peschel added, "I think we've come a long ways, and that's not just me, it's a lot of the staff and the board members just hanging in there and just doing what's best for the district."