Ooltewah Elementary School land
The Hamilton County Board of Education will pay Hickory Construction of Alcoa, Tenn., up to $21.4 million to build a new Ooltewah Elementary School.
The board voted 8-0 to approve the low bid, though questions arose over the value of using local contractors for school jobs.
Board member Greg Martin asked whether the board should give preference to local builders and what benefit such a move might have on the local economy.
Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services Gary Waters advised against showing preference to local firms. He said the board might have to seek a change in policy if it were to start rejecting low bids in favor of local bidders. Even then he said such a rule could hurt future bid processes.
“I think it serves as a detriment to competition,” he said. “This is a fair and open bid contest.”