The 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.
July 28, 2006
ADVISORY COMMITTEE HOLDS FIRST MEETING
The Wake county Citizens' Facilities Advisory Committee held its first meeting
Wednesday, July 26 at the Wake Commons Building. The committee includes
Fred Akins, retired Deputy Secretary for the Department of Transportation;
Sepi Asefnia, an engineer at Sepi Engineering; Glenn Blackley, retired Facilities
Manager for Wake County; Justus Everett, engineer and former President of
ABE Utilities; Roddy Jones, contractor and chairman of Davidson and Jones
Hotel Corporation; Russell Killen, attorney at Parker, Poe, Adams and Bernstein;
John Mabe, attorney at Maupin, Taylor; Billie Redmond in real estate with
Trademark Properties; Jim Smith, architect; Terry Stoops, policy analyst
at the John Locke Foundation; Eddie Truelove, contractor and past member
of the State Building Commission and Past President of the Association of
Building Contractors; and Rob Weaver, banker and Senior Vice President and
Marketing Manager of Bank of America. The advisory committee will 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 includes members
with experience in corporate leadership, construction, financial management
or public administration who live in the community.
SCHOOL BOARD FINALIZES YEAR-ROUND CRITERIA, ADDS PUBLIC HEARING
At its Committee of the Whole meeting July 18, the Board of Education finalized
criteria to guide the conversion of some elementary schools to the year-round
calendar, and extended the timeline for converting schools to allow for
additional community input.
School administrators reviewed feedback from online comments and focus groups. Over four weeks, the school system gathered 534 online comments, and held four focus groups of teachers, principals, parents, and board advisory council chairs.
Based on community feedback, the board elevated the importance of whether a school's base population was growing and the need to minimize reassignment in the decision to convert schools. They also recognized the importance of maintaining a quality instructional program and the importance of keeping all tracks healthy.
The board adjusted their schedule for this discussion to provide additional time for community input. School administrators will use the criteria to recommend a list of schools August 15 to the board for conversion to the year-round calendar. The board agreed to add a public hearing on August 28 and take comments online regarding the specific schools. Board chair Patti Head said this will give the board and the public time to digest the information as it relates to specific schools before the board makes a final vote September 5.
The new building program that seeks to ease crowding and provide classrooms for the thousands of additional students moving into Wake County includes converting 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.
FIVE NEW YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS OPEN FOR 2006-07
Five new year-round elementary schools opened this year, increasing the
number of year-round schools in Wake County to 20 and the year-round capacity
above 17,000 students.
Barwell Road, Brier Creek, Carpenter, Holly Grove and River Bend elementary schools opened July 10. All five schools serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade and have a bell schedule of 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
By operating on a multi-track calendar, year-round schools can hold 20-33 percent more students than a traditional-calendar school because at any given time one of four groups of students is on break. The five schools are serving more than 2,700 students.
Barwell Road Elementary in southeast Raleigh will open as the largest elementary school in the school system. The school is a reused (prototype) two-story design, also seen at Forestville, Cedar Fork, Carpenter and Harris Creek elementary schools. Through a partnership between the school system, City of Raleigh and Wake County, the campus will boast a community center and a community park. This will provide the school two full-size gyms and classrooms, as well as two future fields and nature trails beyond the usual elementary school program. The school is 99,387 square feet, has another 40,473 square feet for the community center.
Brier Creek Elementary is the only school located between I-40 and US 70 in northwest Raleigh in the rapidly growing Brier Creek area. The school is a reused design, also seen at Baileywick and Jeffreys Grove elementary schools, and will be used again. Brier Creek represents a partnership between the school system, City of Raleigh and Wake County to provide a community center and a community park. This will provide the school a full-size gym and classrooms beyond the usual elementary school program. The school covers 90,747 square feet, with another 17,179 square feet devoted to the community center.
Carpenter Elementary in northwest Cary is now home to elementary students. The facility served as a ninth-grade center for Green Hope High from 2004-05 through 2005-06. Carpenter is a re-used design, also seen at Forestville, Cedar Fork, Barwell Road and Harris Creek elementary schools. The school has a 87,395-square foot campus.
Holly Grove Elementary will open as an "early start" school in a wing of the new Holly Springs High, while the permanent school is built on the site adjacent to the high school. Holly Grove is opening a year earlier than originally planned to help provide needed classroom seats in this growing area. Students and staff will move together to the permanent building for 2007-08.
River Bend Elementary in North Raleigh is opening two years early in the temporary modular campus on Spring Forest Road. In its temporary location, the 48,107-square foot school is made up of seven modular complexes. A modular complex consists of multiple factory-built units bolted together, similar to a classroom wing in a traditional school building. The campus has a multipurpose room, cafeteria, media center, office space and small play areas in addition to four eight-classroom complexes. Students and staff will move to their permanent site near the intersection of Perry Creek Road extension and US 401/Louisburg Road for the 2008-09 school year.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGN FOR WAKEFIELD HS 9TH GRADE CENTER
At its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved the schematic design
documents prepared by Schenkel Shultz Architecture for the conversion of
an existing grocery store into the Wakefield High 9th Grade Center. Funding
is available in the current 2007 Crowding Solution project budget of $7,896,677,
of which $6,486,327 is provided for this conversion.
BOARD HEARS RANDLEIGH FARMS CONCEPTUAL PLAN
At its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education heard a presentation from
school administrators on the Randleigh Farms property draft conceptual plan,
which include potential sites for an elementary school and a middle school.
The 411+ acre parcel is jointly owned by Wake County and the City of Raleigh,
and is located at the intersection of Auburn-Knightdale Road and Battle
Bridge Road. The conceptual plan includes potential sites for E-28 and M-7,
the planning names for two proposed schools to be included in the new WCPSS
building program.
BOARD APPROVES RELOCATION OF MODULAR UNITS TO GARNER HS
At its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved two contracts for
moving modular classroom units to Garner High.
The board awarded a single-prime contract to C. Blake Lewis Construction in the amount of $114,046.63 to relocate one eight classroom modular complex from Longview to Garner High. Work includes the tear-down, relocation, block, level, tie-down and trim out of the complex. Funding is available in the current 2007 Crowding Solution budget of $7,896,677, of which $910,350 is for the Garner High 9th Grade Center.
The board awarded a single-prime contract to Beau Chene Company in the
amount of $184,500 for the site set-up of one eight classroom modular complex
and one six classroom modular complex at Garner High School. Funding is
available in the current 2007 Crowding Solution budget of $7,896,677, of
which $910,350 is for the Garner High 9th Grade Center.
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BOARD APPROVES DESIGN CONSULTANT AGREEMENT FOR CARY HS
At its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved a design consultant
agreement with Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee PA for the design of a new three-story
addition to Cary High School, part of the proposed Capital Improvement Program
2007-2010. This contract provides for the design of the addition using PLAN
2004 Ninth Grade Crowding funds, with construction to be funded from the
CIP. By advancing the project schedule, the new addition will expand the
school's capacity and take the place of an additional 9th grade center.
Funding is available in the current 2007 Crowding Solution budget of $7,896,677,
of which $500,000 is for the Cary High 9th Grade Center solution. The total
project budget includes total proposed compensation for the design consultant
of $572,000. However, since the design consultant is only authorized to
provide services through the permitting and bidding/negotiation phase, this
agreement is only for $314,600. The remaining amount will be authorized
after passage of the next building program.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGN CONSULTANT AGREEMENT FOR RIVER BEND ES
At its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved a design consultant
agreement with Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee, PA for the construction of the
new River Bend Elementary School. This project will provide for the reuse
of the prototype used at East Garner Elementary. The school opened this
year in a temporary modular campus and will move into its permanent location
when this new school facility is completed for 2008. 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 is from the next building program.
The total project budget includes total proposed compensation for the design
consultant of $698,500. However, since the design consultant is only authorized
to provide services through the permitting and bidding/negotiation phase,
this agreement is only for $304,175. The remaining amount will be authorized
after passage of the next building program.
VISIT THE WCPSS GROWTH RESOURCE CENTER
The Growth Resource Center on wcpss.net has the latest information on the
growing WCPSS student population and efforts to provide the space needed
for teaching and learning. In the Downloads section, you can find the link
to the final criteria for year-round designation. You can also find links
to recent Growthcasts on public private partnerships and modular schools.
The Growth Resource Center is located at http://www.wcpss.net/growth/
-wcpss-
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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