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.
April 20, 2006
STEPS TAKEN TOWARD REACHING SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM
At an April 19 joint meeting, the Board of Education and County Commissioners
reached agreement on several issues as they prepare for the next school
construction program.
Patti Head, Board chair, and Tony Gurley, Commission chair, said they had received nominations from their members and would meet next week to name members to the Capital Improvement Program Independent Advisory Committee. The independent committee would review projections for enrollment, review data for school construction costs and life-cycle costs, evaluate opportunities to reduce costs of new school construction and report back to the board, commission and public. It will include at least nine members with experience in corporate leadership, construction, financial management or public administration who live in the community.
Gurley said DeJong and Associates of Dublin, Ohio has been hired as a consultant to advise the Wake County commissioners and school board on school construction. The consultant will offer advice to the board and commissioners for the next school construction program.
School administrators presented the staff proposal for the capitol improvement program. The board heard the proposal last Thursday and will discuss it in several meetings before finalizing a school construction program May 16.
The board and commissioners reached agreement on ownership of school property, an issue discussed several times in the past year. Under the agreement, the school system will continue to own school buildings and property. However, ownership may be vested with the county during the period of construction of new schools, because the county is not subject to sales tax on building materials, as is the school system. They also discussed school facility maintenance funding and directed staff to bring a draft agreement on funding to the next joint meeting on May 3, 2006.
BOARD APPROVES CHANGE ORDER FOR EAST GARNER ELEMENTARY
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved Change Order No.
CM-02 to Barnhill Contracting Co. for their Construction Management at Risk
contract for East Garner Elementary. This change order, in the amount of
$12,342,011 is to establish a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the last
of the work packages needed to accomplish the construction of this project.
The total of all GMPs is $15,829,339.
The total proposed project budget is $18,971,892, of which $14,983,080 is currently available from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program, and $10,000 is available from contributed funds from Wake County Parks & Recreation. A future reallocation of $3,978,812 is required from Program Contingency because of escalating construction costs; this reallocation will be presented at the May 16, 2006, Board meeting.
BOARD APPROVES LONG-RANGE BUILDING PROGRAM FUNDING REALLOCATION
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved reallocation of
PLAN 2004 Program Contingency to the 2007 Crowding Solution that would provide
six ninth grade centers to relieve crowding at WCPSS high schools. Total
reallocation amount is $7,896,677. This reallocation of funds will provide
for the conversion of a grocery store for use as a ninth grade center for
Wakefield High, relocation of modular units for a ninth grade center for
Garner High, and design of a ninth grade center for Cary High. This will
establish partial funding for the 2007 Crowding Solution. The remainder
of the funding will either be provided in the next building program or requested
from the County.
This action reduces PLAN 2004 Program Contingency to $1,454,932. As additional school sites are identified for purchase, as the need to fund 2007/08 crowding solutions occurs, and as additional unplanned project changes are identified, staff will present request for additional funding for Board approval and subsequent submittal to the Board of Commissioners.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGN CONSULTANT AGREEMENT FOR E-26
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved a design consultant
agreement with Pearce Brinkley Cease & Lee, Architects, for conversion
of the existing Bespak facility in Apex to E-26 Elementary. The total proposed
project budget will be determined with the development of the next building
program. The estimated current budget is approximately $21,000,000 of which
$745,000 is currently available from the start-up component of the PLAN
2004 School Building Program. The remainder of the funds will come from
the next building program. The total budget will include compensation for
the design consultant of $1,163,088. However, since the design consultant
is only authorized to provide services through 75% construction documents,
(including design narrative, schematic design, design development, and 75%
construction documents), this agreement is only for $658,112. The remaining
$504,976 will be authorized after passage of the next building program.
BOARD AWARDS CONTRACT FOR MARTIN MIDDLE-ASBESTOS ABATEMENT
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education awarded the single-prime
contract to Demolition and Asbestos Removal Inc. in the amount of $123,970
for asbestos abatement at Martin Middle School. Funding is available from
the total Martin Middle project budget of $24,009,010, of which $1,157,258
is from PLAN 2000 Start-up and $22,851,752 is from PLAN 2004 School Building
Program.
BOARD AWARDS CONTRACT FOR ROOT ELEMENTARY RETAINING WALL
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education awarded the single-prime
contract to Beau Chene Company, Inc. in the amount of $497,800 for the retaining
wall project at Root Elementary. Funding is available from the total project
budget of $954,410, all of which is from the Systemwide Improvements component
of the PLAN 2004 School Building Program.
BOARD AWARDS CONTRACT FOR STOUGH ELEMENTARY TOILET RENOVATIONS
At its April 18 meeting, the Board of Education awarded the single-prime
contract to Vortex Construction Co., LLC in the amount of $251,419 for the
toilet renovations at Stough Elementary. Funding is available from the total
project budget of $560,107, all of which is from the Systemwide Improvements
component of the Plan 2004 School Building Program.
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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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