District project staff told the Livonia Public Schools Operations Committee on Nov. 10 that the district’s final bond-package bids (Phase 5 of the 2021 bond program) showed strong contractor participation and that the recommended award package is ready to move to the full board for approval.

“ We had a total of 138 bid proposals come in across multiple bid categories,” Brian Weber said during the presentation, citing higher participation than the prior year and noting the district now accepts digital bid submissions to make bidding easier for contractors. Weber also described the district’s due-diligence process, led by Clark Construction with architects and engineers vetting responsible bidders, and said a typical 7% construction contingency remains in the recommendation.

Weber recited figures from the packet: a cited budget figure, reported hard-construction totals and a bottom-line recommendation of $9,918,227. Committee members praised staff for bringing the package forward with strong bidder coverage; several asked about lessons learned and whether the final schools will receive similar upgrades to earlier bond phases.

Staff told the committee they are drafting contracts and prioritizing long-lead items and that formal board approval next week would allow immediate scheduling and release of shop drawings.

Committee members asked clarifying questions; staff emphasized there is less room for error at the end of the program and that the district will need to prioritize needs where funds are tight. The committee did not vote on the package; the recommendation will go to the full board at the Nov. 17 meeting.