Decatur County Schools Seeks Bids for Classroom Partition Construction Project

The Decatur County Board of Education published a sealed-bid notice for its Pre-K Partition Wall Project, giving licensed contractors a narrow eight-day window to submit bids before a public opening set for Thursday morning, April 9, in Decaturville.

The scope covers two floor-to-ceiling, sound-insulated partition walls with a door at each partition, 16 new electrical outlets, relocated light fixtures, and associated painting. All work must be finished by July 15, 2026, a deadline that clears the construction from classrooms before the 2026-27 school year begins and keeps disruption to students and staff during active instruction to a minimum.

Bids will be opened and read aloud at 9:00 a.m. at the Director of Schools' office at 59 West Main Street in Decaturville. Submissions must arrive in sealed envelopes marked "Pre-K Partition Wall Project" and must include a valid contractor license and proof of general liability insurance. The board will award to the low responsible bidder, though it reserves the right to reject any or all submissions.

Contractors who want to see the space before submitting a number should contact Keith Dickson, the district's Facilities Supervisor, at 731-733-1168 or keith.dickson@decaturschools.org to schedule an onsite inspection. Dickson is the primary contact for all project questions through the bid opening.

The sound-insulation specification carries weight beyond basic construction materials. National standard ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010, published by the Acoustical Society of America and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, singles out partition design as a critical element in classroom acoustic performance, noting the particular vulnerability of early learners still developing language and literacy skills to noise from adjacent spaces. Building floor-to-ceiling, sound-insulated walls in a Pre-K setting is, in practical terms, an investment in how clearly four-year-olds can hear their teachers.

Decatur County Schools serves 1,498 students across five schools on an annual revenue of approximately $19.2 million, spending $10,563 per pupil each year. Of that budget, roughly $6.26 million flows directly to instruction. For a district operating at that scale, a facilities upgrade focused specifically on the Pre-K level signals deliberate prioritization at the entry point of its full educational pipeline, which extends through dual-credit college coursework at the high school level.

General questions about the district can be directed to the Director of Schools' office at (731) 852-2391. The full Invitation to Bidders is posted on the district's public live feed.