School District Five Board hears update regarding progress on new elementary school in Chapin
IRMO –The Lexington-Richland School District Five Board of Trustees received an update on the progress of the new elementary school in Chapin during its Jan. 27 meeting.
Among the topics discussed, the trustees were provided a grand total of $31,286,221 for the project. The total includes the Site Work Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP)—Amendment 1 and Building GMP—Amendment 2 of $3,656,858 and $22,862,496 respectively. It also includes the Land Purchase and Due Diligence cost ($948,867); Architectural Design Fee, not including reimbursable costs ($1,400,000); Programming Charges, not including reimbursable costs ($118,000); Furniture Fixtures and Equipment ($900,000); Information Technology costs ($950,000); and the cost of Third Party Inspectors ($450,000).
“There are different approaches to analyzing construction costs…What we can say is, we know at this present time that we have a number of items that are not going to exceed (budget)—unless the Board decides to put further changes in the program as you did when you approved Amendment 1 and Amendment 2,” said Mike Montgomery, an attorney for the district.
The price of School District Five’s new school is a “very competitive price” compared to similar projects in neighboring districts and officials expect final costs to be under projected costs for several budgeted items, said Dan Neal, a construction consultant to the Board.
In addition to providing information about the project’s budget, Neal and Montgomery also responded to questions and concerns raised at a previous Board meeting regarding the district’s adherence to procurement code and guidelines regarding concrete work.
“There is no indication that the district has violated any procurement code,” Montgomery said.
Letters entered into the record of the Board meeting, which Neal obtained from leading engineering firms, indicated the district followed all proper procedures regarding concrete tests and other work. Neal also provided an update on the project schedule, which remains “on track” for the school’s fall 2021 estimated completion date.
“Despite this (above normal rainfall in December and January), the project is moving well,” Neal said. “Roads, parking lots, and building pads are stabilized; 30 percent of footings are complete; and we anticipate starting to place the building pad in late February.”
The School Board will receive updates on the new elementary school throughout the duration of the project. For more information on the district’s new elementary school in Chapin, including the presentation to the School Board on Jan. 27, visit www.lexrich5.org/elementaryschool13. Video and other information from the Jan. 27 School Board meeting, and all other past School Board meetings this school year, can be found at www.lexrich5.org/schoolboard.
