BUFFALO TWP — Freeport Area School District is requesting proposals for an “owner’s representative” for the planned high school renovation, which was approved by a 5-4 board vote in June.

An owner’s representative — also known as a construction manager — is an individual or group retained by the client (in this case, the school district) to ensure that the project is running smoothly.

“The owner’s representative is there to make sure that the best interests of the district are met and the construction project is on time and on budget, and to make sure our voice is heard throughout every step of the process,” said Freeport superintendent Ian Magness said during a special meeting Wednesday, Nov. 5. “You want to have those boots on the ground on a daily basis to make sure the project’s going the way it’s intended.”

Magness said the district hopes to appoint an owner’s representative for the project in either December or January.

In addition, at next week’s regular school board meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Freeport Area School District is expected to vote to approve a bid from MDM Surveyors to perform surveying work for the renovation project.

According to Magness, of the four contractors that submitted proposals for the surveying work, MDM’s bid was the lowest responsible one, and was recommended by Freeport’s architect, HHSDR.

“There are certain requirements that we had to meet on what type of survey and the scope of the survey,” Magness said. “We just chose the lowest bidder based on our architect’s recommendation.”