St. Joseph School Board provides details on renovation plans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- One of the main agenda items discussed at Monday's St. Joseph Board of Education meeting centered around planned classroom renovations for one of its high schools.

Benton High School will be undergoing renovations as part of the professional service agreement with DLR Architects. The initial agreement was based on building a new high school in St. Joseph, but required an amendment with the Prop 2 school measure bond failing to pass last year.

"We're already in contact with DLR (on the contract Amendment). The amendment to the contract was to specify what the charges and fees would be for the remodeling work as an architect," Robert Hedgecorth, assistant superintendent of business and operations, said. "In the master contract that was passed in November of 2024, it outlined what those fees would be for brand new (facilities)."

The changes added to the plan were "standard procedure" with one of the only noticeable changes being the cost percentage increase was 6.15% but is now a little under 8%.

"Usually (you) have a little bit higher percentage for a remodel. In the master contract it was 6.15% for any new construction," Hedgecorth said. "When you're talking about a remodel, old architectural plans have to be scanned and you actually need to go out to verify those items are there. It adds a little more work. With this one was I believe it was 7.9% on the amendment to the master contract."

The next board of education work session will be at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, in the Troester Media Center, located on 3401 Renick St.