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.
Sept. 1, 2006
FIFTH-DAY STUDENT ENROLLMENT UP MORE THAN 7,000
WCPSS had 126,454 students in school August 31, the fifth day of the traditional
calendar school year. This is 7,375 more students in school than the 119,079
students who attended the fifth day of school in 2005-06. On the 20th day
of 2005-06, student enrollment was 120,504.
WCPSS will check student enrollment on day 7 and day 10.
BOARD CONTINUES TO WORK ON YEAR-ROUND TRANSITIONS
The Board of Education is scheduled to vote at its Sept. 5 meeting on transitioning
some elementary schools to the year-round calendar beginning 2007-08 to
provide space for the thousands of additional students entering Wake County
schools.
In public hearings August 28 at Southeast Raleigh High, board members heard from 52 people. In discussions during work sessions August 29 and 30, board members narrowed the list of schools to Ballentine, Baucom, Brassfield, Green Hope, Harris Creek, Highcroft, Hodge Road, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Leesville Road, Lockhart, Middle Creek, Olive Chapel, Pleasant Union, Rand Road, Salem, Vance, Wakefield and Willow Springs elementary schools. They removed Cedar Forks, Combs and Wakelon from consideration and discussed moving Carver Elementary to the year-round calendar for 2008-09.
During the work sessions, the board began discussing the transition of East Wake, Salem and Wakefield middle schools to the year-round calendar. They asked staff to look at the impact of Leesville Road and either East Garner or North Garner middle schools transitioning to the year-round calendar. The transition of these middle schools to the year-round calendar would help provide needed capacity and help keep families with elementary and middle school students on the same calendar. The board will continue to discuss calendar changes for middle school.
CITIZENS' FACILITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETS
The Citizens' Facilities Advisory Committee established by the Wake County
Public School System and Wake County Government held its second meeting
August 23. The committee met and toured Barwell Road Elementary School,
one of the new year-round elementary schools that opened in July. The committee
looked at its work plan and considered cost comparison templates for comparing
construction in different school districts. The committee has established
a Webpage at http://www.wakegov.com/commissions/cfac/default.htm
BOARD APPROVES SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR LYNN ROAD ES
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved the schematic
design documents prepared by Skinner Lamm & Highsmith Architects for
the renovations and addition at Lynn Road Elementary. The total proposed
budget is $22,086,050, of which $1,206,943 is from the PLAN 2004 School
Building Program and $20,879,107 is from the next building program.
BOARD APPROVES NAME FOR NEW ELEMENTARY IN FUQUAY-VARINA (E-23)
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved the name of Banks
Road Elementary School for E23, a new elementary school planned for the
Fuquay-Varina area. On July 31, 2006, the Board of Education together with
Wake County, acquired 53.271 acres for the school in Middle Creek Township,
in Fuquay-Varina, NC. 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 property is located
in what has long been referred to as the Banks Community or the Banks Road
area.
BOARD APPROVES NAME FOR NEW ELEMENTARY IN SOUTHERN CARY (E-26)
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved the name of Laurel
Park Elementary School for E26, a new elementary school in southern Cary.
On August 4, 2006, the Board of Education acquired approximately 15.63 acres
and an industrial building (containing approximately 92,000 square feet
of space) formerly used as a Bespak manufacturing plant. The building will
be renovated for use as an elementary school. The property has its main
entrance to the school on Laurel Park Drive.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGN CONSULTANT AGREEMENT FOR LACY ES
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved the design consultant
agreement with Gurel Architecture, Inc. for the design of the modular swing
space on the Lacy Elementary Campus needed to accomplish the renovation
project in the next building program. The form of agreement is the standard
form approved by the Board Attorney. Funding will be available in the Plan
2004 Lacy Start-Up project budget of $300,000. The project budget includes
proposed compensation for the design consultant of $215,500.
BOARD NAMES DESIGN CONSULTANT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR NEW PROTOTYPE
HIGH SCHOOLS
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved the design consultant
agreement with Cherry Huffman Architects, PA for a new high school prototype
design. The form of agreement is the standard form approved by the Board
attorney. The next school building program includes the construction of
two new high schools using this new prototype design.
At the same meeting, the board approved a construction manager at risk agreement with Barnhill Contracting Company, 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. Barnhill will serve as construction manager for these two high schools which are part of the next building program.
The total proposed project budget is $73,276,958 of which $1,000,000 is from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program and, $72,276,958 is from the next building program. The total project budget includes total proposed compensation for the design consultant of $2,772,416. However, since the design consultant is only authorized to provide services through the Design Development Phase, this agreement is only for $693,104.
The total project budget includes proposed compensation for the Construction Manager in a not to exceed amount of $360,000 for pre-construction basic services and 3.25% of the construction cost for the construction management fee. However, since the construction manager is only authorized to provide service through the Design Development Phase, the agreement is only for $120,000. The remaining amount will be authorized after the passage of the next building program.
BOARD APPROVES JOINT USE AGREEMENT FOR MIDDLE CREEK PARK
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved a joint use
agreement with the Town of Cary for the park at Middle Creek High School.
Board and the Town of Cary partnered in the purchase of property for the
joint design and construction of a school and park. Land was subdivided
after design, with the high school softball field incorporated with the
Town's four field baseball/softball complex located on Town owned property.
The Town will maintain the areas located on Town Property designated for
joint use. The school will have use of the four fields of the baseball/softball
complex during the school day and priority use of the school's program field
during school and non-school hours. After normal school hours and when not
needed by the school board, the Town will exercise joint use privileges
to schedule the use of the school's program softball field when not needed
by the school board and given the autonomy to establish rates for third
party users. The term of this agreement has changed to 50 years. A separate
Joint Use Agreement for the community center was approved by the school
board on June 8, 2006.
BOARD APPROVES JOINT USE AGREEMENT FOR BARWELL ROAD ES GYM
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved a joint use agreement
with the City of Raleigh for use of the Barwell Road Elementary School gym.
The City of Raleigh provided funds to enlarge Barwell Road Elementary School's
multipurpose room to a full-size gym, which was incorporated into the City's
community center located adjacent to the school on City owned property.
The school will schedule shared gym space during normal school hours and
the City will schedule shared gym during non-school hours. The City has
a first option to operate an after-school care program in the shared gym
and will be allowed scheduled use of the school's multipurpose field and
paved play areas until 6 P.M. on school days for the City's after-school
care program. WCPSS will provide maintenance for the playgrounds, multipurpose
field with track, and the routine maintenance for the HVAC chiller and boiler
located on school board property that services the community center. The
City will provide all other maintenance for the Community Center including
the WCPSS physical education staff office and PE equipment storage room,
which are located on City Property.
BOARD APPROVES MASTER LEASE WITH COMARK BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
At its August 22 meeting, the Board of Education approved a new Master Lease
Agreement with Comark Building Systems, Inc. to provide more leased mobile/modular
classroom units during the period from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2012. The
Board attorney has approved the form of agreement. Funding for the setup
and rental fees for these swing space units will be encumbered as part of
the individual project budgets.
-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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