Consultants draw line in the sand on spending for school officials

Cutting 15,000 square feet to trim projected $6 million overrun won't be easy

With not one spade of dirt turned on the new high school in Redstone, spending is on a track to be nearly $6 million over budget, but school officials vow to bring costs back in line. Members of the Conway School Board made that position clear Friday morning when they learned the design for the new high school, career and technical center and renovation of Kennett High into a middle school is currently $5,840,000 over the proposed $46 million bond that was passed last fall.The school board's building committee learned about the 11 percent overrun from Blair Banker, director of pre-construction for Lee Kennedy Company, the project's construction manager.The biggest reason for the budget over-run is the footprint of the building, which, if stands, is 15,000 square feet bigger than the 220,000 square feet budgeted by the district. And because cutting square footage will require reducing classroom size, among other "program" areas, the cuts will not be easy."This is a summary to date," Banker said during the nearly two-hour meeting a the H.E. Bergeron Offices in North Conway. "It's a line in the sand, stopping the train on the tracks before we get too far along. We need to know where we stand... This budget is based on 235,000 square feet and represents where we stand at this time.Based on original calculations of roughly $120 per square foot for construction, keeping the extra 15,000 square feet would bloat the $24.9 million budget by $1.8 million. To get an idea of what 15,000 square feet represents the current building plans call for a 7,500 square foot, 500-seat auditorium to be constructed, so roughly the total footage for two auditoriums needs to be cut from the overall plan. The current design is seven percent over in terms of square footage."The largest piece is the building itself because the square footage is over," Banker said. "In other projects like this," Rebecca Moore of the Steering Committee, asked, "is there a certain percentage range schools find themselves over?""I think there's hardly ever a project where we're not in that stage," Laurin said. "It's kind of like an accordion. This is a good spot to stop and as Blair said draw a line in the sand and see where we're at. With a $45 to $46 million project to be $6 million over, we're actually pretty close... If we were 20 percent over we'd be very concerned.""I want to make sure we get back to where we need to be," Patty Swett, chair of the Conway School Board, said, "but I don't want to sacrifice any of the quality (of education). Hopefully, that's the feeling of this group."In the budget worksheet, at the current design and financial pace, the high school is $3,291,005 over the $24,991,300 that was budgeted in the bond. Currently over in cost estimates are $462,921 for site work; $1,909,886 in the building; $56,000 in facilities out building; $92,584 in site contingency; $95,494 in building contingency; $116,883 in site design fees; $2,750 in permit fees; and $554,487 in construction management fees.The projection for the vocational center is currently $1,547,939 over budget, the bulk of which is in square footage ($1,309,474). Also over is $65,474 in site contingency; and $172,992 in construction management fees.The projection for the middle school renovation is at present $195,004 over budget with $205,104 over in construction manager costs which are offset a little by being $10,100 under in construction testing.The budget for the road construction, which had a budget of $2 million, is over based on current figures by $820,68. due to $381,375 in site contingency; $117,919 in site design fees; $95,000 in permit fees; $19,200 in town inspector; $46,958 in construction manager fees; and $22,100 in construction testing."I know David Laurin (architect for Banwell) has more work to do and so do we," SAU 9 Superintendent Carl Nelson said, turning to Banker "but what suggestions do you have for us to get back on the track."Banker shared with the committee a "Target Budget Worksheet" with several proposed options, which showed a maximum of $3,682,281 that could be saved if adhered to (leaving $2,172,356 to reach the $46 million goal). Option I for the high school consisted of reducing square footage (currently at 179,241 square feet down to 163,916 square feet). It would require a reduction of about 20 percent of the program space (classrooms, library, etc.) If done, it would represent a savings of $1,909,886.Option II calls to reduce the square foot cost using the current square footage, going from the current rate of $120 per square foot to $109.34 per square foot with a savings of $954,943. Banker said it was an unlikely option "without significant quality reductions."Option III calls for a split between square foot costs along with a cost per square foot reduction. The square footage would be reduced by 7,958 while the cost per square foot would drop from $120 to $114.42, creating a total savings of $954.943. Banker said this option still calls for a reduction in common area as well as a reduction in the quality for some materials.Banker offered similar cost cutting options for the vocation center and the site work.For the vocational center, Option I calls for a reduction of square footage using $120 per square foot a the mode and trimming 10,912 square feet (from 56,602 to 45,690), which would result in a savings of $1,309,474, but Banker called this route unlikely, using the same word for Option II, which was to reduce the square foot cost from $120 to $96.87 per square foot, which would also result in a $1,309,474 savings. Option III is a combination of both methods: splitting square footage (from 56,602 to 51,146 and saving $654,737) and the cost per square foot (from $120 to $107.20 to save $654,737. It would also mean a reduction of about 20 percent in common area.In lower the site work, Banker offered two options: I reduce the scope of playing fields. II. reduce the overall site impacts by a more "compact building," and reducing clearing and grub, cut and fill, utility runs, paving and landscape."In your professional opinion what do you recommend," Kennett High Principal Jack Loynd asked."The first step is we go after is the square footage wherever we can," Banker said. "... No one has a crystal ball what the costs will be next year.""This is all contingent upon there being no other surprises in the pipeline," Andy Grigel, buildings and ground coordinator the Conway School District, said.