Posted on

Abby K-12 awards $746K contract for pool project

Neuman Pools of Beaver Dam has been awarded a $746,845 contract to rebuild the pool at Abbotsford High School by the end of this calendar year.

The school board accepted the bid at a special meeting on July 14. A second bid was submitted by Badger Swimpools of Prairie Du Sac, but Neuman’s bid was lower by $22,855.

A large portion of the price difference came in the performance bond cost, which was significantly higher for Badger Swimpools, likely due to a past claim.

Superintendent Ryan Bargender said the board’s facilities committee was hoping to get bids from these two companies based on their reputations, and the members were pleased with the one submitted by Neumann.

According to the company website, Neuman Pools was founded in 1976 and currently has over 100 employees working on projects throughout the country. Besides municipal and school pools, the company also builds water parks, spas and other aquatic facilities.

The completion date of the pool rehabilitation project is Dec. 31 of this year.

To date, the district has raised $289,195 in private donations for repairing the existing pool, which is leaking and in need of updates. The district has already taken out a 10-year, $700,000 loan from Forward Bank to pay for the project, but due to the donations, the amount the district will have to pay is closer to $410,000.

The work will include sawing into the pool basin to remove the decayed pipes underneath, replacing the old tiling and getting rid of the diving board, which does not meet current codes.

Originally built in 1974, the pool has been closed since the end of 2020, when a substantial leak was first discovered. Board members considered a range of options for the pool, including the possibility of filling it in with cement and repurposing that area.

Community members expressed support for repairing the pool, and several of them have stepped forward with major donations to pay for the repairs.

LATEST NEWS