BOE Votes To Request $6 Million More For NHS Expansion

By Eliza Hallabeck

One question was repeated during the August 28 special meeting of the Board of Education: How could the Newtown High School Expansion Project be off by so much? After hearing different perspectives on the project, the Board of Education unanimously decided to request the extra $6 million for the project.

“We all wish we weren’t sitting here today,” said Board of Education Chair Elaine McClure.

The special meeting was held almost a month after bids initially came in for the project, and Morganti Group estimates expected the project to be over budget then. Bids closed on July 29, and soon after, Ed Barrett, the director of preconstruction for the project, said the bids were $3.9 million over budget.

The budget was passed by taxpayers in April for $38.8 million, and it included alternate bid packages like artificial turf for the athletic field and a green roof. Last week Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson told The Bee the green roof project, which would have cost $60,000, has been cut out of the expansion.

Mr Barrett was not present at the Thursday evening special meeting of the Board of Ed, but two other representatives of the Morganti Group, Arthur Lindley and Tim Gunn, responded to questions from the board.

Mr Lindley said the different options that are facing the board now could include asking companies to extend their bids past the 90-day hold period, but all of the bidders would have to agree to do this.

Last week he said the Morganti Group met with Dr Robinson to discuss cuts to the overall cost of the project, and some of the costs went down.

“People want to know why we are over so much,” said Ms McClure. “We hear it is steel, and it may be petroleum.”

Mr Lindley and Mr Gunn said they did not have the information with them to discuss the exact areas of the budget that went over expectations, but Mr Lindley pointed out the General Trades bid went over, along with a few other areas that went beyond their expected price.

Mr Lindley also said iron is the toughest commodity for the project, because the costs for it are skyrocketing.

“[The contractor’s] costs are going through the roof as we are talking,” said Mr Lindley. He said all of the contractors are being effected by inflation.

Dr Robinson said the school district is researching the option of adding more portable classrooms to the location, but that is an expensive route to take.

“Our goal is to see that every student is in a place that is under supervision by an adult, which is not happening now,” she said.

As of next fall the largest population of students will be attending the Newtown High School, and there will not be enough room for the students unless something is done. The Morganti representatives told the board that the fall of 2010 is the earliest the classrooms can be completed for use now.

“We’ve lost the whole eighth grade,” said board member Kathy Fetchick.

Joe Costa, a representative of Fletcher Thompson, said the bid was tight to work with, and a lot of time was spent on technical issues.

During the public participation part of the meeting, Newtown Middle School PTA President Mary Ann Jacob said she has supported the project from the beginning.

“I’m very concerned that we are $6 million over,” said Ms Jacob. She said the most important thing now is to articulate to the public why the project exceeded the original budget.

She said it is important to educate the voters about the project because “many people don’t vote for the big picture, they vote for their own belief.”

Paul Mangiafico, a member of the Board of Selectmen who said he was speaking as a private citizen, made a few comments toward the Board of Education members.

“We need the classrooms now,” said Mr Mangiafico. “You guys have made a decision. The decision you made is you are going to go forward and ask the voters for an additional $6 million. That’s going to be a task, but that task can be accomplished. But it requires the board, not Ron Bienkowski [the business director for the school district], not the superintendent, not Public Building & Site, it requires the Board of Education to stand up.”

Asking for advice, he said, is fine, but the decision needs to come from the Board of Education.

“You need to explain to the voters what differences there are … between what was approved and what’s missing,” said Mr Mangiafico.

Mr Mangiafico said the town is running out of time on the project, and whether voters approve the project or not will be based on the argument the Board of Education makes.

“We cannot afford to lose another year or two on top of what we have already lost,” Mr Mangiafico said.