EF addresses rumors about high school renovation work

The district and school board issued separate statements regarding the status of the project.

Elizabeth Forward is trying to set the record straight when it comes to rumors and speculation involving the high school renovation project.

Before public comment during Elizabeth Forward’s committee of the whole meeting Wednesday evening, Solicitor Megan Turnbull read statements that the district and school board wanted issued about construction.

These statements are in response to some repeated concerns that have been brought up during public comment, according to Turnbull.

The first statement said recent public comments that there have been “$50 million in change orders” associated with Phase 1 of the high school construction are inaccurate. Turnbull said they “misrepresent the facts surrounding this important investment in our district.”

“From the outside of the project, the Elizabeth Forward board of school directors was presented with four separate construction options based on four different base bids,” the statement said. “Those bids ranged from $7.1 million to $62.2 million, with each option reflecting a different level of restoration, renovation and long term improvements to the high school campus.”

After careful review and extensive research/discussion, the board made the “courageous decision” to move forward with the $62.2 million plan, according to the statement.

Turnbull said this was not the result of change orders, but rather a “deliberate and transparent” choice to invest in the future of the district, its students and the community.

The statement also said the project reflects thoughtful planning, transparency and a commitment to do what is best for the future of the district, and not an accumulation of change orders “as has been publicly suggested.”

The decision included construction and modernization work recommended for the campus, according to the statement.

The upgrades included a new gymnasium/auditorium, upgraded physical plant infrastructure, new roofing systems, building wide sprinkler and fire protection systems, a modern HVAC system with air conditioning, improved air quality and a secure vestibule for visitors during the school day.

“The board recognized that simply restoring damaged portions of the building would not adequately address the long term needs of our students, staff and community,” the statement reads. “Instead, they chose to make an investment that would provide safe, modern, efficient and future ready learning spaces for generations of Elizabeth Forward students.” The second statement addressed a recent comment claiming that the Phase 1 drawings do not match what is happening, and that the money is going somewhere else.

Turnbull said the work being performed at the high school is consistent with the scope of work publicly presented and awarded by the board in July 2024.

The board’s decision to move forward with the work was made to ensure that students and the community benefit from a safe, modern and educational appropriate facility for years to come, the statement said.

Projects of this size operate under extensive oversight, the second statement explained, including architectural and engineering plans, publicly awarded contracts, inspections, construction management and ongoing review by district administrators and professional consultants.

In addition, any modifications to the original scope occurred only through formal change orders, which are reviewed and approved by the board of directors at public meetings, and those actions are part of public record.

“Questions regarding a project of this magnitude are understandable, and the district remains committed to transparency throughout the construction process,” Turnbull read. “However, statements suggesting that funds are unaccounted for or that the project differs substantially from the publicly approved scope are inaccurate, and do not reflect the documented process and oversight associated with the work.”

Several change orders are up for approval at next week’s regular meeting.

David McLean of McLean Architects, LLC said the two change orders are from general contractor Rycon Construction and Moses Electrical.

The Rycon change order nets out to a credit of $30,084.20 and has six items in it, which include ballfield, fencing and sign credits with bulkhead, sitework and ceiling repairs.

“We had discussed some of this the last time, but those six items that are in there, there’s a $60,000 credit for ballfield items that had been put in as a holding place in Phase 1. That work was then designed into place for Phase 2, and that contract allowance of $60,000 is now being recovered by the district under that one.”

The bulkhead issue is to the left of the auditorium, according to McLean, and the ceiling from that area connected to the technology education area needs a bulkhead at around $3,257.44.

The fencing is a credit of $23,700 that removes fencing from the Phase 1 contract that is now being bid directly by the school district to continue that fence all the way around the stadium, McLean said.

There was fence work in the general contract that has come out to the tune of that credit, according to McLean. They were also originally planning two signs outside of the building, but they are sticking with one that is being mounted on the athletic building, crediting $6,365.97 back to the district.

There is also added scope from the civil engineering that the district hired on the site work, which creates an addition of $38,802.36, including additional site concrete, and railings to be ADA compliant along with bumps in the concrete for visually impaired individuals.

“Coming from the new gym to the stadium, there was, in the original design, a sidewalk with steps there,” McLean said. “In review with the local building inspector and the code reviewers, there was an interest in getting that to be ADA accessible, so in the process of making that ADA accessible, a significant part of that is railings because with that ramp, we need railings on both sides of it. Those were not on the original civil drawings. They’ve been added to the civil drawings under this change order.”

Ceiling repair work is also needed in the two locker rooms and the new hallways that surround the new gym.

McLean said they are trying to find out who is responsible for the ceiling damage, and if the change order is approved, the general contractor will proceed with repairs. Ceiling tiles were damaged, along with some of the items holding the ceiling.

“It’s a difficult process to get someone to own up to that,” Mc-Lean said. “We informed the contractors that may have these credits that they need to get the work done because we don’t want to hold the work up, and for the general contractor, we want to make sure that ceiling is repaired by them because that’s their warranted work.”

The Moses Electrical change order relates to additional monitor, microphone and camera locations that were requested by the school district for $13,900.

The staff that is going to be using these spaces is now wrapping their minds around exactly how they are going to use these spaces. They are tying the band/choral room to the stage via camera and sound systems so for musicals, their pit orchestra can perform in the room since there is no room in the auditorium.

Superintendent Keith Konyk said they have had numerous meetings with band, chorus and those involved with the musical to get their input. They had an original collaboration more than two years ago where they had recommendations.

“They had come to us with some things that have changed over time, and this is our opportunity to run wires for that behind the walls now,” Konyk said. “Anything that we don’t do now, we would be going through ceilings or adding conduit later.”

Phase 1 of the ground work is moving along pretty well, according to McLean, with a lot of site work going on, and the auditorium is taking shape on the inside.

From the back of the building, they have taken off some of the old panels, and the glass block can be seen there. They are raising the window height to let in more sunlight.

“If you go by the building, you will see that Phases 1 and 2 are starting,” McLean said. “Phase 2 has started, so there is work on Phase 2 starting in tandem with Phase 1. That’s the beginning of the work that is going on with that higher window head, so they will brighten those classrooms up.”

For Phase 1, the total change orders approved and pending is $1,099,540.77, and the district has a remaining contingency of $1,913,055.73 or 36.50% of contingency used. The percent of change orders with the total budget is 1.82%.

The percentage of completion for each contractor by most recent payments for Phase 1 is Rycon with 90% completion, Lugalia Plumbing is 99% complete, FAI is 93% complete, Moses is 94% complete and Vrabel is 98% complete.

Additionally:

• The board has a proposal from Pitchford Diversified to be the commissioning and testing firm for Phase 2 work, along with Security 101 for $11,073.75 to install and program owner provided access control system for Phase 1 security doors at the high school. That is up for approval next week.

• There is also a motion on the agenda to purchase stainless steel countertops for the high school lobby concession stand for $9,904, along with another change order involving telecommunications throughout the school, adding $21,586.51.