Alvand Construction given BUSD contract for SMS/BHS security fence

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The May 17 meeting of the Bonsall Unified School District board included approval of a contract for Alvand Construction, Inc., to construct a security fence around the campus shared by Bonsall High School and Sullivan Middle School.

The board’s 3-0 vote, with Larissa Anderson and Pascal Lapoirie absent, authorized a public works contract with Alvand Construction. The Poway company will be paid $311,850.

“We make students feeling safe and welcome a priority at all times and continue to implement best practices for safety,” said BUSD Superintendent Joseph Clevenger.

Currently the middle school and high school can be accessed from the south, west, and east portions of the school grounds. The fencing will filter visitors to a single point where school staff can monitor and verify visitor entry. The fence will be seven feet high and will be ornamental steel and chain link fencing.

The construction will also include a double pedestrian gate at the main campus entry which will include a camera and buzzer system, a motorized vehicular gate at the main entrance, an access system for pedestrian gates, and electrical engineering to ensure operation.

The April 17 BUSD board meeting included a 4-0 vote, with Michael Gaddis absent, to reject all bids to construct the fence and re-bid the project. Four bids were received, but one bidder withdrew and the bids had significant discrepancies.

The revised bid package included three deductive alternates: providing galvanized in lieu of black vinyl coated chain link, providing galvanized in lieu of black painted pickets, and deleting the motor operator and associated components for the vehicular gate.

BUSD staff recommended awarding the construction contract and accepting the galvanized deductive alternates while rejecting the alternative to delete the motor operator and associated equipment. Two bids were received for the revised proposal.

The contract with Alvand Construction, Inc., has a Sept. 29 end date, although substantial completion is expected by mid-July.