Fresno Unified School Board members are scheduled Wednesday to vote on awarding bids to build a new auxiliary gymnasium at Fresno High School and the long-awaited fence at Bullard High School.

The proposed 15,000-foot auxiliary gym and site improvements at Fresno High are part of the district’s ongoing efforts to increase equity among schools’ athletic facilities. It will include a gym building with retractable bleachers that can seat 980 spectators, a lobby with a snack bar and restrooms, two classrooms, restrooms with access to the ball fields, and additional support spaces.

The project also will include replacing the existing tennis courts and increasing the number to eight, which will allow the school to host competition tournaments.

Of the five bids submitted, Davis Moreno Construction’s $11,999,471 was the lowest.

The company’s president and CEO, Stephen Davis, has been engaged in a longstanding lawsuit against the district over the construction of Gaston Middle School that has cost the district and Harris Construction, the contractor on the Gaston project, millions of dollars in legal fees.

The lawsuit, which has resulted in appellate court rulings, was returned to the Fresno County Superior Court for a trial that resumed earlier this month.

New Bullard Fence

The board also is scheduled to award a bid to construct new ornamental steel picket fencing, chain-link fencing, and gates at Bullard High to improve the school’s safety and security.

The fencing design will provide single point-of-entry access at the main office during the school day and automatic exit gates for the north and south parking lots.

Currently, the front of the school on Palm Avenue is unfenced.

The project also will include new mow strips, curb cuts, and cameras at the three main entry gates.

Of the four bids submitted, Harris Development Corp.’s $2,034,449 was the lowest.

The bid awards will come during Wednesday’s School Board meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will be held in the Education Center in downtown Fresno at M and Tulare streets.