Pickford School Building Project delayed The Sault News PICKFORD — The Building Project for Pickford Public Schools has been delayed after the received bids came in higher over estimates. Angela Nettleton, superintendent of Pickford Public Schools, released a letter regarding the situation. When the schools went out to bids in January, a variance of plus or minus 5% was expected, based on consultation from construction managers. As of early February, based on the bids received, the project was being over budget by approximately 40%. This was caused by several factors, including COVID-19-related issues interacting with the school’s rural geographic location. “Project Steering Committee members, including members of our board of education and our administrative team, have spent a great deal of time looking at various cost reduction strategies and value engineering opportunities suggested by contractors during the post-bid interviews,” said Nettleton in the letter. “Even with these potential savings implemented, and a probable rebid of some categories, the proposed budget was still forecasted to remain ‘over budget’ by nearly $1.1 million.”