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.
March 17, 2006
FACILITIES COMMITTEE DISCUSSES CONSTRUCTION COSTS
At a March 17 meeting of the Board of Education Facilities Committee, school
members discussed the costs of school construction. School administrators
provided a comparison of construction costs. Based on 2003 bids that include
site development, WCPSS elementary school construction was $95.50 per square
foot. The NC Department of Public Instruction reported the average was $95.15.
Johnston County construction was $88.09 per square foot and Forsyth County's
was $89.95 per square foot. WCPSS administrators said that Wake County has
higher site development costs than Johnston because easy-to-develop land
is more difficult to buy in a rapidly developing county like Wake. In addition,
WCPSS provides playfields and athletic fields; whereas the other counties
do not - the communities pay for them. A more accurate comparison of construction
costs requires subtracting WCPSS' site development costs (approximately
$15.00 per square foot). Educators talked with the board about what goes
into a classroom and why. WCPSS seeks to meet the instructional needs for
teachers and students; the educational program drives school design. For
example, educators talked with the board about the benefits of having a
sink in elementary classrooms. The board will continue its discussion in
the next committee of the whole meeting as it works towards developing a
school construction program to put on the ballot in November 2006.
COMMISSIONERS AND BOARD CREATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
An advisory committee will be created and a consultant will be hired to
advise the Wake County commissioners and school board on school construction.
In a joint meeting March 15, the commissioners and school board agreed to
create the panel and hire the consultant to review the projects under consideration
for the next school construction program and tell the public whether the
money would be spent wisely. Wake County and school system staffs have been
interviewing consultants who responded to a request for proposals from the
county. County Manager David Cook said he has just received the recommendation
for the consultant and will move forward with negotiations.
The commissioners and board agreed to create the Capital Improvement Program Independent Advisory Committee of up to 10 experts who live in the community. They agreed the committee would include persons with experience in corporate leadership, architecture and engineering, financial management or public administration.
Commissioners and board members agreed the committee would help with the community's long-term school construction needs. The commissioners and board have held a series of meetings to discuss the school construction program and expect to recommend a bond amount for the next school construction program in May.
COMMISSIONERS AND BOARD RECEIVE SCHOOL RENOVATIONS LIST
In a joint meeting of the Wake County Commissioners and Board of Education,
WCPSS staff reviewed proposals for renovations of existing school facilities
to be considered for the school construction program. The staff reviewed
42 renovation projects and has presented a ranked list of 19 for consideration
to the school board.
WCPSS Facilities staff ranked the projects on these three issues:
-Deferred renovations projects from PLAN 2004 and the Deferred Maintenance
and Life Cycle due during 2007-09.
-Deferred renovation projects from PLAN 2004 that do not have a Phase 2,
and Renovation Projects moved up due to physical condition of the building
and indoor air quality deficiencies and the deferred maintenance and life
cycle due during 2007-09
-Deferred renovation projects from PLAN 2004 that do not have a Phase 2
and Phase 2 of planned renovation projects, projects from the $867 million
list that do not have indoor air quality deficiencies and the Deferred Maintenance
and Life Cycle due during 2007-09.
The projects on the list included:
East Millbrook MS - major renovation/replacement of older buildings
Lynn Road ES - major renovation/replacement of older buildings
Aversboro ES - major renovation/replacement of older buildings
Martin MS - Phase II replace gymnasium
East Wake HS - portions deferred from PLAN 2004
Lacy ES - major renovation/replacement of older buildings
Root ES - major renovation/replacement of older buildings
Poe - major renovation of older buildings
Wilburn Year-round ES - major renovation/replacement of older buildings
Bugg ES - major renovation/replacement of most of the campus
Other schools on the list included Wake Forest Rolesville HS (Phase II),
Smith ES, Brooks ES, Conn ES, Enloe HS (Phase II), West Millbrook MS, Apex
HS, Cary High (Phase II) and Millbrook HS (Phase II).
WCPSS Facilities staff reviewed proposals for three Administration/Support facilities. The projects include four bus service centers, additional storage space for Child Nutrition Services and a building on Noble Road for Administration, Teacher Retention and Training and Student Support Services. Each of the four bus service centers would support routine maintenance, service and fueling of 250 school buses. WCPSS Child Nutrition Services warehouse and support services have not increased since 1989. During that time, student enrollment has doubled. CNS needs more space for storage of fresh, refrigerated and frozen goods. The Noble Road project would provide swing space over six years for six elementary schools that need renovation and would allow WCPSS Human Resources staff to move out of leased space in Cary.
BOARD AND WCPSS REVIEW CHAMBER SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION POLL
Wake County Board of Education members and school administrators have been
reviewing the results of the poll conducted by the Greater Raleigh Chamber
of Commerce on the next school construction program. The poll gives a snapshot
of what the public knows about growth, the possible school construction
bond scenarios and year-round schools.
Education/schools came in first as the single most important issue facing
Wake County (23.9%)
School Funding/school levies was second (21.2 %). Overcrowding is perceived
as a very big problem by 65.4 percent of the respondents. When asked if
they would support a school construction bond of $1.37 billion, 43.8 percent
of the respondents said yes. 40.4 percent indicated support for a $1.8 billion
bond and 37.5 percent for a $1.97 billion bond.
The poll found support for reducing the number of new schools needed by converting traditional calendar schools to year-round, multi-track schools. 60.3 percent said they were more likely or somewhat more likely to vote for a bond once the number of new schools needed was reduced by converting schools to a year-round calendar.
The poll results will be used by the board and the Wake County Commissioners in continuing efforts to provide the community with information on the school construction program being developed for the November 2006 referendum.
BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AGREEMENT FOR AVERSBORO
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved the construction
management agreement with Turner Construction Company for the renovation
and addition project at Aversboro Elementary. The form of agreement for
Construction Management At Risk has been previously reviewed and approved
by the Board. Ramsay GMK was previously selected as design architects for
this project. The total proposed budget will be determined with the development
of the next building program.
BOARD SELECTS DESIGNER FOR E26
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education select Pearce Brinkley Cease
& Lee, Architects, for the design of E-26 Elementary in the existing
Bespak building. Pearce Brinkley Cease & Lee, Architects provided the
feasibility study for the conversion of the existing building into a new
elementary school and were the architects on a similar conversion at Lufkin
Road Middle School. This will shorten design time, reduce cost, and help
expedite the project.
BOARD REALLOCATES FUNDS TO E26 AND E27
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved a resolution
reallocating $1,490,000of project funds from the PLAN 2004 Next Building
Program Start-up projects at E-20 and E-21 to E-26 and E-27.This reallocation
accommodates the availability of land since E-26 and E-27 will be available
prior to E-20 and E-21.
BOARD APPROVES LEASE AGREEMENT FOR SINGLE CLASSROOM UNITS
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved a new Master Lease
Agreement with GE Modular Space. The new lease covers the existing units
currently leased from GE Modular Space and the lease of fifty-three (53)
single classroom mobile units to be installed as part of the 2006 Crowding
Solution. The set-up budget for the lease of fifty-three (53) single classroom
units is $366,495 and the rental fee is $205.20 per month per single classroom
mobile unit or $130,507.20 per year per Package B of fifty-three (53) units.
The initial lease term is 5 years. Funds for the set-up are budgeted as
part of the 2006 Crowding Solution Budget of $4,635,000. The rental fee
for the lease is encumbered on a yearly basis as part of the Operating Budget.
Funds will be encumbered on an individual unit basis.
BOARD APPROVES LEASE AGREEMENT FOR MODULAR CLASSROOM UNITS
AT its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved a new Master Lease
Agreement with Vanguard Modular Building Systems. The new lease covers the
existing units currently leased from Vanguard and the lease of eight modular
units (fifty classrooms) to be installed as part of the 2006 Crowding Solution.
The set-up budget for the lease of modular classroom units is $303,750 and
the rental fee is $29,520 per month or $354,240 per year. The initial lease
term is 5 years. Funds for the setup are budgeted as part of the 2006 Crowding
Solution Budget of $4,635,000. The rental fee for the lease is encumbered
on a yearly basis as part of the Operating Budget. Funds will be encumbered
on an individual unit basis.
BOARD APPROVES CHANGE ORDER FOR EAST GARNER ELEMENTARY (E13)
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved Change Order No.
CM-01 to Barnhill Contracting Co. for their Construction Management at Risk
contract for the new East Garner Elementary School. This change order, in
the amount of $3,454,328 is to establish a guaranteed maximum price (GMP)
for the site work package, which is one of thirty-eight (38) construction
packages, to facilitate the beginning of construction for this project.
In addition, this GMP establishes the general condition costs for the project.
The total proposed project budget is $19,693,080, 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.
An estimated future reallocation of $4,700,000 may be required because of
escalating construction costs.
BOARD APPROVES CHANGE ORDER FOR BARWELL ROAD ELEMENTARY
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved Change Order No.
CO-16 to Barnhill Contracting Company for the new Barwell Road Elementary
School. This change order in the amount of $247,868.70 is for revisions
to the widening of Barwell Road, which is a required condition to the construction
of Barwell Road Elementary School/Community Center. The total proposed project
budget is $26,027,105, of which $697,249 is from the PLAN 2000 School Building
Program; $17,474,085 will be from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program;
and $7,855,771 will be from the City of Raleigh. The City of Raleigh will
pay for one-half of the road widening costs.
BOARD APPROVES LONG-RANGE BUILDING PROGRAM FUNDING REALLOCATION
At its March 7 meeting, the Board of Education approved a resolution reallocating
project funds from PLAN 2004 Program Contingency to Property Acquisition
Phase II. With the board's purchase approval of E23 and E24 on Feb. 21,
2006, funds from Program Contingency were needed to fund the contracts.
Total reallocation amount is $1,500,000.
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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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