Middle School construction project could be accelerated, saving $20k

The School Board last night approved recommending a change order to the Middle School construction project that will bring an end to construction two months earlier than planned and will save $20,000, but with a slight hiccup for the end of the 2008/2009 school year.

With the board's approval, the recommendation will proceed to the Joint Building Committee — where School Board members are joined by members of City Council — for its approval.

Under the original construction proposal, the new academic wing of the Middle School would be completed in time for the beginning of school this fall. Students would populate the new building, and continue to use the old cafeteria and gymnasium for the 2008-09 school year while the old academic wing is abated and demolished.

Then, during the summer of 2009, the cafeteria and gym would be demolished and replaced in time for the '09/'10 school year, but other construction projects, such as landscaping and parking areas, wouldn't be completed until October of 2009.

Because of this complication, staff would have to park off-site and be shuttled to the school, and students would have to adjust to a temporary bus pattern in September, only to have to learn a new one when construction was finally completed.

In what Superintendent Bob Champlin described as a "win-win" situation, the contracting firm of Harvey Construction proposed an advanced timetable for the project that calls for the school relinquishing the old cafeteria and gymnasium on May 1, 2009, leaving the middle school without those facilities for the final six or seven weeks of the school year.

In return, Harvey would commit to "substantial completion" of the project in August of 2009, meaning students would start school on a more-or-less completed campus for the '09/'10 school year. In theory, the only remaining construction items would be the so-called "punch list" of smaller details that the administration would work out with the contractor.

Additionally, Harvey would discount the project by $10,000, and the district would save another $10,000 by shortening the contract of the clerk of the works, whom the district pays to oversee construction.

The downside to the proposal is that the Middle School would have to make do without a gymnasium or fully functional cafeteria from May 1, 2009 to the end of that school year. Breakfasts and lunches would be prepared in Pleasant Street School's kitchen and shipped over to Opechee Park. Where students would eat is still up in the air, with a least-desirable scenario being that students would eat lunch in their brand-new classrooms for six or seven of the warmest weeks of the year. Champlin said there's a chance that the dining area of the new cafeteria, but not the kitchen, would be complete by that point, and another alternative is to place cafeteria tables in one of the broad corridors and eat there. "There are a number of plans being discussed, we're just not ready to commit to one yet," Champlin said.

Physical Education would be held outside in the park on fair weather days, and in a spare classroom during rainy days.

With Board Members Chris Guilmett, Chuck Tucker and Marge Kerns absent, there were no dissenting votes from the four attending board members. Beth Arsenault said "The most positive aspect is we go into a new school year, with new sixth graders, who will not by affected [by construction]. It's well worth the trade-off." During a Facilities Committee meeting held prior to the board meeting, Arsenault said, "Getting the building before the school year starts is, like the commercials, 'priceless.'"

Also during the committee meeting, board member Scott Vachon said he questioned whether Harvey was offering a large enough credit, as the firm will likely save more than $10,000 by being able to quit construction two months early. Champlin told him that there wasn't any credit at all in the initial proposal, that it only came after tough negotiations. "Our sense was that Harvey would walk away from the table beyond this," Champlin said.

The next meeting of the Laconia School Board is scheduled for April 15.