Franklin Regional board members see some savings, possible expense for Sloan elementary project

While Franklin Regional school members were more than happy to get a credit of more than $42,000 in costs related to the Sloan “elementary campus” project, they weren’t so sure about a discounted price for a new ceiling they weren’t planning to install.

Mechanical contractors working in the kitchen area of Sloan Elementary suggested the possibility of removing and replacing the existing ceiling, which was supposed to remain untouched, said construction manager Nancy Gorgas.

“There’s a good bit of duct work that needs to be installed above that ceiling, so that’s what started that conversation,” Gorgas said.

The contractor offered to remove the ceiling at no cost and worked with Gorgas to try and mitigate the cost of installing a new ceiling.

And while the $9,290 price tag is about $4,000 less than the outright cost of installing a new ceiling, it was still a significant expense, Superintendent Gennaro Piraino said at this week’s school board meeting.

“Is it your recommendation that we spend $10,000 for their convenience?” Piraino asked Gorgas.

“It would be more that you’d have a brand-new ceiling in that kitchen as added value,” Gorgas said. “But as far as doing it for the contractor’s convenience, that’s not needed and it’s not required.”

Gorgas noted that the original bid for the duct work was placed with the knowledge that the existing ceiling would stay.

Solicitor Gary Matta reminded board members that the contractor also likely built additional costs into the original bid related to working around the ceiling, “so really, the district would be paying more than just the $9,290 in the change order,” he said.

The $42,000 credit is due to the elimination of a full-time site manager position on the Sloan renovation project. Gorgas said accelerating the Sloan schedule following its covid-related closure in 2020 made the position unnecessary.

Gorgas also asked the board to consider granting a time extension of about 40 days for substantial completion of the project, with a new finishing date of July 30.

Gorgas said the request was mostly related to the early days of the pandemic, when the project was delayed a month as school and project officials awaited word on whether construction would be permitted under the first round of state health and safety restrictions.

Other areas of the project, including the bulk of classrooms in the new intermediate elementary building, are ahead of schedule, she said.

“We’re confident that we’ll be able to get those areas completed right around the time that teachers are done with school, giving the district the ability to get all those classrooms moved,” Gorgas said.

Monday’s meeting was committee-of-the-whole, and did not include any voting. The board’s voting meeting is set for 7:30 p.m., March 15, livestreamed at YouTube.com/user/FranklinRegionalSD.