Thursday Update - You can't always get what you want
State High Vision
Thursday Update
May 10, 2007
Work session at the High School
The SCASD board will hold a “work session” tomorrow May 11, 2007 at 3:30 at the High School North Building (library) to review the results of the student survey. Current students in the high school have been trying to get involved in the high school renovation debate by inviting those with varying positions on the debate to make presentations at Student Government meetings, attending school board meetings, participating in the protest last week and with a survey of the students. You’ll remember that students worked for months to get permission from administration to survey the student body on the high school plan – a survey that included questions written with assistance from Board member Donna Queeney and for which a “fact sheet” was attached outlining the district’s position.
Remember, the SCASD interprets “work session” to mean that the public can attend but cannot speak or offer comments. The public is free to attend and LISTEN.
School Board Reaction to the Bid Results
Monday's opening of construction bids for the high school renovation confirmed what members of the community have been telling the board for over a year - architects on contract with district to design the Mega School were under-estimating the construction costs. The so-called "hard bids" came in at $95.7 million, or 18.2% above L. Robert Kimball and Associates/ Poole Anderson estimates of $80.9 million
Unfortunately, that's not the total cost of the project. When you add in the "soft costs" (furnishing, architect fees, construction management, etc.) the total swells by a further $13.5 million. Construction contingency and financing costs take the project total to $116.0 million, against the School Board's commitment to a budget of $97.7 million.
That's a total project over-run of $18.4 million or 18.8%. That's a lot of money -enough to refurbish an elementary school. .The difference between the cost of the board's Mega School, and the "Sensible Solution" put forward by David Paterno (and dismissed without consideration and after review by the design team who stands to make money on the Mega SCHOOL project based on size), has now swollen to over $50,000,000. That doesn’t include additional money (estimated at $2.4 million with the artifical turf at the track field) for moving athletics around, transporting kids to those venues and renovating athletic facilities that the district doesn’t own so that they meet PIAA standards.
Do you think it's time to Stop and Reconsider?
The reaction to the news from Board was both predictable and frightening. Tuesday's Centre Daily Times carried the following quotes:
"I was the one who made the motion to set the $102 million ceiling, and I won't approve it until it gets to that cost," said Robert Hendrickson, a board member
"The bids are outrageous," said Janet McCracken, also a board member up for re-election this year. "The contractors will have to go back to the drawing board and do better for us."
If these individuals weren't sitting members of our school board, charged with leading our district into the future, the comments would be laughable. Dr. Hendrickson needs to be reminded that the $102 million ceiling was set when the plans included demolition of the South Building. Eliminating this from the project scoped dropped the budget down to $97.7 million. How and where they can find $18.3 million in savings without gutting the project scope seems unachievable.
Dr. McCracken's comments suggest a disconnection from the business world and an inexperience with construction. Contractors are independent businessmen and women who bid on projects based on the cost of their operation and materials, their perception of risk and their needed profit margin. It's not a question of "doing better for us". The cruel realities of the market place have spoken; and it's telling the board this is what the project will cost. The board is responsible for the plan, decision making and design of the building – not the contractors who will bid on building it.
The school board, in conjunction with the CAC for Facilities, will attempt to work these numbers behind closed doors over the next few days and weeks. But it is clear to those knowledgeable about these matters "you can't get there from here". The cost savings opportunities with this design are limited and there is no more low hanging fruit to pick.
We believe that these numbers should trigger a second public hearing, according to Act 34 of 1973 “Taj Mahal” Act.
For the last seventeen months, members of the community have reached out to the board and tried to tell them that they were heading toward a financial meltdown. This has included local architects, construction professionals and engineers. These concerns, both written and at school board meetings, were routinely dismissed. Members of the community also met several times individually with board members and with the superintendent to raise concerns but those concerns fell on deaf ears.
The board has no one to blame but themselves, but we are not gloating. In fact we are very sad to be in this situation, where our high school facility is in need of renovation, but our path forward has been severely compromised due to a lack basic project planning skills and a disregard of community input. We hope the board will take this opportunity to make good decisions for our community and for our children. It's time to stop and re-evaluate.
Dr. Hendrickson's comment about not approving the bids until the figure drops to $102 million reminds us of the classic Rolling Stones song:
"You can't always get what you want!"