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.
August 15, 2006
CANDIDATES FOR YEAR-ROUND TRANSITION PRESENTED TO BOARD
Wake County Public School System staff presented a list of 23 schools recommended
for transition to the year-round calendar to members of the Board of Education
at its Committee of the Whole meeting August 8.
The list of elementary schools included: Ballentine, Baucom, Brassfield,
Carver, Cedar Fork, Combs, Green Hope, Harris Creek, Highcroft, Hodge Road,
Holly Springs, Knightdale, Leesville, Lockhart, Middle Creek, Olive Chapel,
Pleasant Union, Rand Road, Salem, Vance, Wakefield, Wakelon and Willow Springs.
Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney presented the board the list of schools that met the criteria approved by the Board of Education last month to guide the transition of some elementary schools to the year-round calendar.
In an effort to provide classrooms for the thousands of additional students moving into Wake County, the Board of Education directed staff to create a plan that would transition enough schools to the year-round calendar to gain 3,000 elementary school seats.
Schools on the multi-track year-round calendar can hold 20-33 percent more
students than those on a traditional calendar because one of four groups
of students is on break at any given time.
Dulaney said the 23 schools were selected applying the criteria and paying
particular attention to the geographic distribution of both year-round and
traditional calendar schools. Dulaney said these schools should generate
additional capacity for at least 2,921 students in the 2007-08 school year.
The Board of Education will continue to discuss the transition of some elementary schools to the year-round calendar. Board members will meet in the Facility Committee this morning to review the school system proposal. The board will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m., August 28 at Southeast Raleigh High School, 2600 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610.
The school system will continue to seek public input on the transition of some elementary schools to the year-round calendar. The public will have the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns with the Board via the school system's website, wcpss.net, and will be able to sign up at wcpss.net to speak at the August 28 public hearing.
BLUEPRINT FOR EXCELLENCE 2006 WEBSITE OPENS
The Blueprint for Excellence 2006 website has opened on wcpss.net to provide
the most current information on the $1.056 billion capital improvement program
to provide space for the thousands of additional children moving into Wake
County by 2010.
The Blueprint for Excellence 2006 will help build 17 new schools; convert
enough elementary schools to the multi-track year-round calendar to gain
3,000 seats in 2007-08; provide major renovations at 13 schools, address
deferred life-cycle replacements systemwide and lay the groundwork for the
next school construction program.
On November 7, Wake County voters will decide whether to help pay for a portion of this building program with a $970 million general obligation bond. Another $86 million will be pay-as-you-go funds.
The Blueprint for Excellence 2006 website provides a list of major renovation projects, a timeline leading up to the November 7 vote and answers to a list of frequently asked questions.
The Blueprint for Excellence 2006 website at www.wcpss.net/bond will be an easy place to turn for the most current information on providing the classrooms for teaching and learning for the thousands of new students entering the Wake County Public School System.
BOARD APPROVES NAMES FOR TWO EAST WAKE SCHOOLS
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved the names East
Wake School of Arts, Education and Global Studies and the East Wake School
of Engineering Systems for the fall of 2007 for the school conversion at
East Wake High. Under a New Schools Project, the Wake County Public School
System has worked to convert East Wake High into four smaller, curriculum
focused schools.
The East Wake School of Health Science opened in 2005, and the East Wake School of Integrated Technology will open this fall.
The conversion will be completed in the fall of 2007 with East Wake opening the School of Arts, Education and Global Studies and the School of Engineering Systems.
BOARD RECEIVES INFORMATION ON NAME FOR NEW SCHOOL (E-23)
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education received information from
Betty Parker of the WCPSS Real Estate Office on names being considered for
an elementary school in Fuquay-Varina currently designated E23. The board
acting with Wake County, acquired 53.271 acres on July 31, 2006 in Middle
Creek Township, in Fuquay-Varina. The property is at the end of Chambers
Road, which runs from Fayetteville Road (Highway 401) to Old Stage Road.
The property will eventually be divided into three parts: the elementary
school, a community park, and an open space area. Among local residents,
the subject property is located in what has long been referred to as the
Banks Community or the Banks Road area. The name proposed for the school
was Banks Road Elementary. The board will consider naming the school at
its next meeting.
BOARD RECEIVES INFORMATION ON NAME FOR NEW SCHOOL (E-26)
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education received information from
Betty Parker of the WCPSS Real Estate Office on names being considered for
an elementary school in southern Cary currently designated E26.The board
acquired on August 4, 2006, approximately 15.63 acres and an industrial
building (containing approximately 92,000 square feet of space) formerly
used as a Bespak manufacturing plant. The school system plans to renovate
the building for use as an elementary school. The property fronts on Laura
Duncan Road, but has its main entrance to the school on Laurel Park Drive,
which roadway also provides access to a proposed residential neighborhood
adjacent to the property. The name proposed for the school was Laurel Park
Elementary. Several board members indicated they favored an alternative
name. The board will consider naming options for the new school at its next
meeting.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGN CONSULTANT AGREEMENT FOR GARNER HIGH
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved a design consultant
agreement with H. S. Annis Architect, AIA for the design of additional temporary
classroom space at Garner High. This will provide a Ninth Grade Center at
Garner High as part of the 2007 Crowding Solution. The form of agreement
is the standard form approved by the Board attorney. Funding is available
in the current 2007 Crowding Solution budget of $7,896,677, of which $910,350
is for the Garner High Ninth Grade Center. The total project budget includes
proposed compensation for the design consultant of $101,250.
BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK AGREEMENT FOR RIVER BEND
ELEMENTARY
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved a construction
manager at risk agreement with Barnhill Contracting Company for the permanent
school to house River Bend Elementary. The early start school opened this
year in a temporary modular campus on Spring Forest Road. The new school
is due to open in 2008 and is part of the next building program. This contract
is for the construction manager's pre-construction services only. The form
of agreement for Construction Management At Risk has been previously reviewed
and approved by the Board. Pearce, Brinkley, Cease and Lee, PA was previously
selected as the designer for this project. The total proposed project budget
is $21,736,051, of which $2,292,654 is from the Plan 2004 School Building
Program and $19,443,397 from the next building program. The total project
budget includes proposed compensation for the Construction Manager of $66,000
for pre-construction basic services and 3.5% of the construction cost for
the construction management fee.
BOARD APPROVES SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR RIVER BEND ELEMENTARY
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved the schematic design
documents prepared by Pearce, Brinkley, Cease + Lee, PA for the construction
of River Bend Elementary, located in Raleigh: The total proposed budget
is $21,736,051, of which $2,292,654 is from the Plan 2004 School Building
Program and $19,443,397 is from the next building program.
BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK AGREEMENT FOR AVERSBORO
ELEMENTARY
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved a construction
manager at risk agreement with Skanska USA Building Inc. for the renovation
and addition project at Aversboro Elementary that is part of the next building
program. This contract is for the construction manager's pre-construction
services only. The form of agreement for Construction Management At Risk
has been previously reviewed and approved by the Board. Ramsay GMK was previously
selected as the designer for this project. The total proposed project budget
is $21,128,060, of which $978,228 is from the PLAN 2004 School Building
Program and $20,149,832 is from the next building program. The total project
budget includes proposed compensation for the Construction Manager of $156,408
for pre-construction basic services and 3.5% of the construction cost for
the construction management fee.
BOARD APPROVES SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR WENDELL MIDDLE (M-5)
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved the schematic design
documents prepared by Cherry Huffman Architects, PA for the construction
of the new Wendell Middle School. The school will be built on the property
where the temporary modular campus houses Wakelon Elementary. Once Wakelon
moves into its permanent building, the school system has proposed opening
Wendell Middle early at the temporary modular campus until its permanent
building is completed. The total proposed project budget is $32,300,204,
of which $1,548,373 is currently available from the PLAN 2004 School Building
Program and $30,751,831 is from the next building program.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SELECTIONS FOR NEW MIDDLE
AND HIGH SCHOOL PROTOTYPES
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved proposals for creating
new prototype designs: one for high schools and one for middle schools.
The new prototypes will incorporate changes adopted by the board and cost
saving measures identified by WCPSS Facilities staff. The board named the
design plus construction management team of Cherry Huffman Architects, P.A.
and Barnhill Contracting, for a new prototype high school with a 2010 opening;
and the team of Skinner, Lamm, Highsmith, P.A. and D. H. Griffin Contracting
for a new prototype middle school with a 2010 opening. Each team member
will negotiate and execute separate contracts with the Board. Design fees
and construction management fees will be negotiated in accordance with approved
procedures.
BOARD APPROVES RESOLUTIONS TO SURPLUS PROPERTY
At its August 8 meeting, the Board of Education approved implementing procedures
to offer two tracts of property as surplus.
The Board of Education owns 40.0 acres of land on South East Maynard Road known as the East Cary Middle tract that it currently uses as a Ninth Grade Center for Cary High. The property includes an unusable 5.0 acres of the southern end of the property, as the land has severely sloping topography, streams, and wet areas that prohibit cost effective conventional school uses. The board agreed to implement the process to surplus that 5.0 acre portion of the property which will be confirmed by survey.
The Board of Education owns 2.51 acres of land in Zebulon located at the southern end of Jones Street on the eastern side of the road, near the intersection of Dogwood Drive. The property is not contiguous to other tracts owned by the Board of Education, and is of insufficient size for cost effective conventional school uses. The board agreed to implement the process to surplus that 2.51 acres of property.
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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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