The Newton School District received bids well below the estimated cost for an addition and the renovation of Aurora Heights Elementary school. Director of Business Services for district Tim Bloom says all nine bids opened yesterday afternoon were under $14 million, while the estimate was $14.5 million.

“The low bid is $12,895,000 from Graphite Construction Group. That’s $1.6 million less than we had budgeted.”

Bloom notes the Des Moines based company also renovated the current District Administration Building several years ago. The Graphite Construction Group bid will be brought before the Newton School Board for approval at their meeting on Monday night. The Newton Board of Education has approved the sale of $10 million of School Infrastructure, Sales, Services, and Use Tax Revenue Bonds to pay for the first phase of additions and renovations at Aurora Heights and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools. The two elementary buildings will be updated to hold up to 500 pre-kindergarten through 4th grade students. At the end of September, a low bid of $5,378,349 from Bi-State Contracting in Burlington was approved for the addition and renovations at Thomas Jefferson Elementary.