VIRGINIA - Bids for the Cherry School expansion came in far under expectations at the St. Louis County School Board’s Tuesday evening meeting. The school district had planned to spend nearly $13.5 million to add classroom space, redesign athletic fields, and reconfigure parts of the school’s commons area but the accepted bids should allow the district to complete the initial project for approximately $10 million.

The school board agreed to include six of 11 alternate add-ons, such as a science lab remodel and new flooring in sections of the school that have original 1950s-era carpeting. Those alternates are likely to add another $1 million to the project.

Two alternate items, however, sparked debate from Northeast Range Board Member Chris Koivisto who questioned the need to spend over $150,000 on new football lights along with an additional $154,000 on irrigation systems for the athletic fields.

“We’re paying to stop these fields from getting wet only to install a sprinkler system?” he questioned. The school’s football field is being raised four feet in an effort to prevent flooding from a nearby wetland.

Koivisto, who has been working for years to get new lighting for the Northeast Range football field said he’s been looking into a lighting project in Babbitt that would cost less than a third of Cherry’s.

It was also noted that Northeast Range does not have an irrigation system. Board chair Dan Manick noted that the irrigation system at North Woods did not make the grass as lush and green as had been promised when it was installed several years ago.

Pat Christensen countered and said if the district is going to spend millions to upgrade the fields, an extra $150,000 for irrigation wasn’t much to ask.

The board ultimately agreed and approved the bids.

Site work will be conducted by George Bougalis and Sons while Max Gray Construction with handle general construction. Absolute Fire Protection won the award for a new fire suppression system, while Hecimovich Mechanical Contracting will handle project plumbing. Nelson Collie Electric will handle the electrical work.

In other business, the board:

Approved a 20-acre land acquisition adjacent to the South Ridge School at a cost of $11,500. The acquisition will keep the South Ridge expansion project in compliance with county regulations for impervious structures.

Approved a measure that will see all extra-curricular finances come under the jurisdiction of the school board and managed through the district’s accounting office. The change is to keep the district in line with new policies enacted by the state on activity finances. Various clubs and other groups will still have separate accounts, but those accounts will now be managed centrally, rather than by each individual school.

Heard from superintendent Reggie Engebritson that she met with board member Christine Taylor and South Ridge administrators after it surfaced at the last board meeting that students had been berated after expressing concerns over bullying at the school. Engebritson said the meeting focused on how better to address student concerns.