Competition Was Down For JCPS Summer Projects

Summer vacation is over for Jefferson County Public Schools students and employees. That means many major repair projects in school buildings are complete.Every summer, JCPS seeks bids for contracts for certain projects, such as installing a new ventilation system in Iroquois High School.Last year, the number of contractors bidding for those projects reached a record high, with one project drawing fourteen bids. Director for Facilities and Transportation Mike Mulheirn says more competition usually leads to lower prices and saves the district money. The competition for this year's was less fierce, but Mulheirn says the number of bids was still above average."We're still getting, in some cases, eight or nine bidders, which is still high," he says. "Our prices are more in line with the budget this year. We had some a little bit below and some go over some."The total cost of this summer's projects was about $30 million. Mulheirn says the average number of bidders for summer projects is around five or six.