School Construction Report


Goal 2008: WCPSS is committed to academic excellence. By 2008, 95 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 will be at or above grade level as measured by the State of North Carolina End-of-Grade or Course tests, and all student groups will demonstrate high growth.

December 16, 2005

BOARD HEARS PROPOSAL FOR CREATING NINTH GRADE CENTERS
At the Board of Education Facilities committee meeting Dec. 13, school administrators talked with the committee about proposed solutions to crowding over the next four years. The proposal provides additional details connected to the scenarios staff presented to the board in a committee of the whole meeting Dec. 6.

The proposal would create 3,000 seats with five ninth-grade centers opening in 2007-08. New schools scheduled to open in 2007 include North Forest Pines Elementary, Sanford Creek Elementary, E13 at Jones Sausage Road and East Cary Middle, which currently serves as the ninth grade center for Cary High.

The staff proposal would allow Cary High to continue using the East Cary Middle campus as a ninth grade center. Wakefield High would use the North Forest Pines Elementary campus as a ninth grade center. Garner High would use E13 at Jones Sausage Road as a ninth grade center. Wake Forest-Rolesville High would establish a ninth grade center at the temporary modular elementary campus at the Dubois Center. After completing renovations, Millbrook High would keep modulars for a ninth grade center.

The proposal would include the conversion of approximately 55 elementary and 18 middle schools to a year-round calendar, as well as identifying single-track high schools to support the elementary and middle year-round calendar.

The proposal would also call for the temporary modular campus on NC 97 to be converted to an early start middle school in 2007-08. An eight classroom modular unit would be added at Panther Creek High in 2008-09 and at Holly Springs High in 2009-10. The temporary modular elementary campus on Spring Forest Road would be used as swing space in 2008-10 for the renovation of existing elementary schools.

FINDING THE RIGHT MIX: BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS AND DESIGNATING SCHOOLS AS YEAR-ROUND
The Wake County Public School System is expected to gain 7,000 new students next year, bringing total enrollment to 127,513. WCPSS is projected to add 40,000 students in five years and 72,000 by 2015. This incredible growth, on top of existing overcrowding and rising construction costs, means that Wake County schools are short 15,000 classroom seats today, and will need another 58,000 seats by 2010 and another 91,000 seats by 2015.

How did we get to this point?

Recognizing that there are only a few places remaining where we could add mobile/modulars, school system staff looked at providing classroom seats through various combinations of new construction and increasing capacity at existing schools by designating them as year-round.

Although converting schools to the year-round calendar alone won't solve our crowding problems, they can house approximately 20 to 30 percent more students than schools on a traditional schedule because three of four groups of students are in session and one group is on break at any given time. Also, the more year-round schools we designate, the fewer new schools we'll need to build.

Construction costs have risen dramatically since PLAN 2004 was created. This is a volatile time in the construction business. With the reconstruction effort in the Gulf Coast, there's an increased demand for labor and supplies. In late 2002/early 2003, a new elementary school cost approximately $12.3 million, a middle school cost $22.1 million, and a high school cost $36.2 million. Now, those costs have risen 60 to 90 percent.

The sample scenarios cover 2007-2015 -- meaning multiple bond cycles -- and include money for renovations to Wake's 139 existing schools. In January or February, school board members and county commissioners will determine the amount of the next school construction bond, planned for November 2006.

There are an infinite number of combinations, but the five examples below give the school board and county commissioners a starting point for finding the right mix.

Scenario 1: The first scenario involves designating the maximum number of elementary and middle schools to the year-round calendar, including magnets, at a cost of $4.2 billion. WCPSS could designate 91 schools as year-round; 10 schools are not large enough to offer multi-track year-round. Even designating the maximum number, WCPSS would still need to build 50 new schools.

Scenario 2: Under scenario 2, WCPSS would maintain the current percentage of year-round elementary and middle schools (12 percent) by adding groupings of two to three elementary schools with a middle school. At $5.6 billion, Wake would designate one middle school as year-round and build 91 schools, with a significant number of those on the year-round calendar.

Scenario 3: Scenario 3 would designate a sufficient number of elementary and middle schools to year-round to relieve crowding in 2007-2009. For approximately $5 billion, WCPSS would designate 73 year-round schools and build 78 schools on the traditional calendar.

Scenario 4: Scenario 4 is similar to scenario 3 with the exception that the new schools would open on the year-round calendar. For $4.3 billion, WCPSS would designate 73 year-round schools and build 52 new, mainly year-round, schools.

Scenario 5: Scenario 5 is an iteration of the first scenario, designating the maximum number of year-round elementary and middle schools, but reserving approximately 10 schools for traditional calendar options. For $4.2 billion, WCPSS would designate 79 multi-track year-round schools and build 52 schools.

BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR WAKELON ES (E15)
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the construction documents for Wakelon Elementary School (E15), a two-story, 768-student capacity elementary school located in Zebulon. This the second use of this prototype. Wakelon Elementary opened in the fall of 2005 as an early start school in a temporary modular campus. Wakelon staff and students will move into this permanent facility, which is due to open in the fall of 2007.

BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK AGREEMENT FOR WAKELON ES (E15)
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the construction manager at risk agreement with Clancy & Theys Construction Company for the construction management of Wakelon Elementary. Clancy & Theys Construction Company was selected to partner with Cherry Huffman Architects for one-to-three elementary schools opening in 2008. With this selection for this 2007 opening elementary school, Clancy & Theys Construction Company is now only selected for one school opening in 2008. The total proposed project budget is $19,783,080, of which $14,983,080 is currently available from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program. An estimated future reallocation of $4,800,000 may be required in recognition of escalating construction costs. The total project budget includes proposed compensation for the Construction Manager of $30,000 for pre-construction basic services and 3.5% of the construction cost for the construction management fee.

BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK AGREEMENT FOR E13
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the construction manager at risk agreement with Barnhill Contracting Company for the construction management of E13, an elementary school to be built at Jones Sausage and Radio Station roads in Garner. Barnhill Contracting Company was selected to partner with Pearce, Brinkley, Cease and Lee, PA for one-to-three elementary schools opening in 2008. With this selection for this 2007 opening elementary school, Barnhill Contracting Company is now only selected for one-to-two elementary schools opening in 2008. The total proposed project budget is $20,283,080, of which $14,983,080 is currently available from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program. An estimated future reallocation of $5,300,000 may be required in recognition of escalating construction costs. The total project budget includes proposed compensation for the Construction Manager of $33,000 for pre-construction basic services and 3.5% of the construction cost for the construction management fee.

BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK AGREEMENT FOR HOLLY GROVE ES (E18)
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the construction manager at risk agreement with Clancy & Theys Construction Company for the construction management of Holly Grove Elementary. Clancy & Theys Construction Company was selected to partner with Cherry Huffman Architects for one-to-three elementary schools opening in 2008. With this selection for this 2007 opening elementary school, Clancy & Theys Construction Company is now only selected for one-to-two elementary schools opening in 2008. The total proposed project budget is $19,783,080, of which $14,983,080 is currently available from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program. An estimated future reallocation of $4,800,000 may be required in recognition of escalating construction costs. The total project budget includes proposed compensation for the Construction Manager of $30,000 for pre-construction basic services and 3.5% of the construction cost for the construction management fee.

BOARD APPROVES SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR HOLLY GROVE ES AT HOLLY SPRINGS HS
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved schematic design documents prepared by Cherry Huffman Architects, PA, for the temporary construction of Holly Grove Elementary School at Holly Springs High School. The total proposed project budget is $750,000 for the Holly Grove Elementary conversion at Holly Springs High as provided in the overall 2006 Crowding Solution budget of $5,385,000.

BOARD APPROVES CHANGE IN SCOPE AT CARPENTER ES
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved a change in scope for Carpenter Elementary. The facility served in 2004-05 and again this year as a ninth grade center for Green Hope High School. The facility needs to be converted from a ninth-grade center back to a year-round elementary school. Carpenter will open next year as one of five new year-round elementary schools. The total proposed project budget is $2,326,192, of which $1,040,662 is currently available from the PLAN 2000 School Building Program. This reallocation of $1,285,530 from PLAN 2000 Program Contingency will fully fund this conversion.

BOARD APPROVES CHANGE ORDER FOR CARROLL MS
At its December 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved Change Order No. GC-04 to Barnhill Contracting Company for their Construction Management at Risk contract at Carroll Middle School. This change order, in the amount of $9,691,371 is to establish a guaranteed maximum price for the last of the work packages needed to accomplish the construction of this project. The project includes major renovations to general classrooms, visual arts, music, career and technical education, PE, staff spaces, child nutrition and plant operations; and minor renovations to general classrooms. The total proposed project budget is $13,674,787, of which $13,611,892 is currently available from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program. A reallocation from PLAN 2004 Program Contingency in the amount of $62,895 is needed.

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The School Construction Report is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.

Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611

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