Renovation moving into next phase
CARMICHAELS – The renovation of Carmichaels Area Junior-Senior High School will soon move into the next phase, which will involve returning students to completed sections of the junior high.
The school board discussed the renovation project Thursday and approved a long list of change orders.
Superintendent John Menhart and members of the board again expressed concern about the number of change orders the district is being asked to approve.
Menhart reported phase three of the project will begin about March 23. At that time, high school students will be moved to the completed classrooms on the second and third floors of the junior high building.
This will allow contractors to begin work in the high school. A crew actually will begin work in the girl’s locker room in the high school Monday, an area of the school that can be segregated from the rest of the building, Menhart said.
The board approved a list of change orders totaling about $330,990. Many of the change orders had been discussed at last month’s meeting, board members noted.
Menhart said, however, he would like the architect and construction manager to sit down with him and the board to discuss the matter.
Some change orders are necessary but others that have been presented to him, Menhart said, he refused to sign.
With little experience related to the work called for in some of the change orders, he said he feels he is at the contractors’ mercy.
It also is getting to the point, Menhart said, that he is becoming concerned about whether the district will have enough contingency funds to cover all the additional costs. “It seems like every time you turn around, they want more money,” he said.
Neither the architect nor construction manager attended Thursday’s board meeting.
Board member Jason Voithofer also said he would like to know where the district stands in regard to the additional payments.
At last month’s meeting, the board was informed about half the contingency money set aside for change orders had been spent. However, the board also was told the number of change orders should begin to diminish as the work in the junior high entered the finishing stages.
The board declined to pay one change order Thursday for $22,341.80 that involved additional costs to repair damage to flooring apparently caused by demolition work.
In other business, the board approved two contracts with Vology for the installation of a district wireless system and network infrastructure for the renovated buildings.
The wireless bid was for $116,571 and the network infrastructure was $227,918.44. The costs will be paid with money the district receives from the e-rate program, a bank loan the district received for new technology improvements and money available through the renovations.
The board voted to hire Karen Labotta Consulting Services to assist the district in investigating changing the district from a junior-senior high arrangement to a middle-senior high arrangement.
The board accepted the retirement of elementary Principal Robin Cole. Cole has been on sick leave since the start of the year. Dave Bates has been serving as acting elementary principal.
Lisa Zdravecky, junior-senior high principal, reported on a $30,000 grant the district received from Chevron to develop programs focusing on robotics, automation, modeling and design.
The program will be started in the junior high and eventually be expanded into the high school and is part of an emphasis on STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math education.
The grant application was prepared by a team of teachers led by library media teacher Cassie Menhart.
The board hired Daniel Batis for a custodian/maintenance position; Morgan Berardi as softball coach and Eugene Franks as a baseball coach. Both coaching positions are booster funded. Board member Melodie Berardi abstained on the softball coach motion; Morgan Berardi is her daughter.