Contractor dispute forces Franklin Regional to use contingency funds for Sloan playground

Several Franklin Regional school directors have been critical of the cost of change orders associated with the district’s ongoing Sloan “elementary campus” project.

Now, pending approval by the board’s legal counsel, they will dip into their construction contingency fund for more than a half-million dollars so students at the new consolidated elementary property have a playground when the 2021-’22 year begins.

Superintendent Gennaro Piraino said the change order approved Monday night is related to a contract language dispute between the project’s design team and one of the contractors.

Piraino declined to elaborate “because this is something that could end up as legal action,” he said. “The recommendation at this point is that we complete the playground work.”

The work will be completed by R.A. Glancy & Sons, another project contractor, at a cost of $540,890.

“I just want to be clear, I can’t vote ‘no’ on this only because I’m forced to choose between the students of this school district and our taxpayers, and if we don’t vote ‘yes,’ our children won’t have a playground to start the school year,” school director Bill Yant said. “That’s a travesty, and it’s the only reason I’m voting yes.”

Director Ed Mittereder agreed.

“I want the public to understand that this isn’t just us looking to spend,” he said. “We have a lot here that needs to be resolved.”

Yant said he’s glad the money is coming from the contingency fund.

“At least it’s not the huge problem that it could’ve been,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to approve the change order. Director Gregg Neavin was not present.