Getting it Right the First Time

If you've driven by campus lately, you have probably noticed that there is quite a bit of action going on at the high school. We are fully engaged in the renovation of that building and construction of a new addition. The planning for this project dates back to January of 2022 when we convened a task force to evaluate our current and future needs. This led to a referendum last September where you, our voters approved a bond of $11.65 million for this project. At that time, I made clear a goal that we would have a shovel in the ground by the time school dismissed at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. What has happened to date has been lightning fast! 

Immediately following our successful referendum in September, planning began in earnest. We needed to transform our concept that was shared with voters into construction documents. To do so required fleshing out exactly what it is we would like to accomplish, what type of building material we were going to use, and a whole host of other details. 

Construction documents were issued in April, and on May 11th we received bids for the overall project. Unfortunately the bids exceeded the budget. To say it was a bit disappointing is an understatement! Luckily we had planned for such a contingency and had developed a strategy that would enable us to move forward without scuttling the entire project. That plan was to bid the project with a series of scaffolding alternates so that we could move forward with some, but perhaps not all components of the overall design. It looked like this:

• Base bid: This included the renovation of the high school classrooms (windows, ceilings, lights, HVAC) with the gym and CTE additions.
• Alternate 1: Part of the original plan included moving the art room immediately adjacent to [and south] of the library while expanding the new CTE center into the existing art room in order to utilize this space for the agriculture program. 
• Alternate 2: This work was designed to remodel the current high school offices. Since that office will move with the base bid, we had planned to repurpose this area. 
• Alternate 3: Our current restrooms need to be remodeled. This particular alternate addressed that work. 
• Alternate 4: I have always been a bit uneasy about the fact the high school doesn't have a storm shelter. This alternate would create a hardened space.
• Alternate 5: Once the new addition is complete and the inside is renovated, this alternate would have addressed the outside of the building, painting it and cleaning it up.

Because we were over budget, on May 17th, I recommended the board accept the base bid and alternate 1, while deferring action on alternates 2-5 for six months. This would give me time to come up with a financing plan, and to go back to the construction team and ask them to find savings in the overall project. 

A process referred to as 'value engineering', this required the construction team to closely scrutinize the construction documents and identify areas where saving could be realized. The key in this exercise is to do so without impacting the scope of the project. At the end of this process, we were able to identify savings of just over $400,000.

While this was occurring, I was working with our financial advisor to determine how best to leverage our sales tax and physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) in a way that won't jeopardize other district priorities. After all, we still need to be able to buy school buses, computers, and have a healthy cushion to address unexpected expenses that come up from time to time.

Luckily, because of the value engineering that we were able to identify and the healthy financial position of the district, we are in good shape. At the board meeting on June 21st, I was able to recommend the board accept alternates 2-5. The conversation that I have been having with the board over the last several months has centered on the idea that it is important for us to do the project right the first time. 

So, now we are fully engaged. It is exciting to see the construction going on around the district. We anticipate the project will be completed for the start of the 2024-2025 school year. In my next post, I'll discuss what you can anticipate during the upcoming school year while construction is underway.