The Oxford School Board approved all but four bids for the new elementary school being built on Washington Avenue.

OSD left out bids submitted for elevators, flooring, doors, windows and masonry for the new school building, because their pricing was over the anticipated amount.

The board concluded that if they waited and resubmitted these bids, they might fall within the desired budget.

The board also authorized to issue contracts for just over $16 million for the approved bids, which included the use of sprinkler and concrete businesses for the school building.

“They were over what we anticipated for the budgeted amount,” Casey Roger, president of Innovative Construction Management, said. “If we bid it again, this time it will come in at budget.”

With the four bids that are going to be resubmitted, the board estimated it would cost around $21 million.

The board decided it was able to re-advertise bids for a flooring company, because the flooring would most likely be the last part of the school to be installed. According to OSD, the school would be completed in 2020.

The board also discussed issuing a waiver to the planning commission for metal siding instead of brick siding, as the brick siding is expansive.

The Oxford Planning Commission voted to approve a variance last Monday, which would allow the Oxford-University School’s Activity Center to use metal siding in its building plans.

While those plans were approved before the Land Development Code and Zoning laws were updated, however it was brought up during the Planning Commissioner’s meeting that metal siding is an ugly look.

OSD opened bidding for the different contracts on Thursday, and the board received about 30 bids for the different services. None of the bids were withdrawn.

Any rebid processes will most likely take place after the New Year.