School Board Approves Furniture, Tech Equipment For New Sandy Hook School
Diversified Project Management’s Geralyn Hoerauf presented the fifth phase of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School building project to the Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday, December 1.
The process in Newtown, Ms Hoerauf explained, has each phase of the building project reviewed and approved by the Public Building & Site Commission before being reviewed and approved by the school board then submitted to the state for final approval.
The school board unanimously approved the fifth phase of the project at the meeting.
The sixth phase of the project, which included playground equipment, was approved out of sequence by the school board at the start of September.
The fifth phase, as presented to the school board, included furniture, the plans for furniture placement, technology equipment, and custodial equipment.
“Early on in the project,” Ms Hoerauf said, “the furniture that is currently in use at [Chalk Hill Middle School in Monroe] was determined to be at the end of its useful life for this school. So we are essentially purchasing all new furniture for this school.”
Ms Hoerauf said it is not necessary to replace all of the computers and Smart Boards at the school, but more are being purchased to make sure each classroom has the technology. The school currently has 34 Smart Boards and Ms Hoerauf estimated 43 are need.
New custodial equipment purchases include a new plow to compensate for more sidewalk and pavement areas on the grounds, and a Scissor Lift, which will be used for the new two-story building, according to Ms Hoerauf.
A layout of the building was shared with the board before Ms Hoerauf showed pictures of some of the furniture that will be purchased, like activity tables, chairs, cubbies, desks, bookshelves, and storage. Benches will also be placed in areas such as the administrative reception space.
“Then there is some funky furniture,” said Ms Hoerauf, explaining that more colorful and differently shaped furniture will be placed in areas like the school lobby and the “tree houses,” communal areas at the end of the grade hallways.
The originally line item budget for furniture and technology was $1.17 million, and the cost estimate for the current phase five plan, according to Ms Hoerauf, is $1.15 million.
“So we are comfortably under budget,” Ms Hoerauf said, adding later that it is expected for the phase to go out to bid by the end of January, following approval by the state.
Ms Hoerauf said the furniture is expected to be moved into the school June, once construction is completed.
“We’re still sitting on about $1 million of contingency for the project,” said Ms Hoerauf later about the project overall, “and the project is on schedule to open… well, it will be substantially complete and turned over to the town probably June 1.”
Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, responded, saying, “I think that the great success of the Sandy Hook Schoolr ebuild has an awful lot to do with the architects [Svigals + Partners], the construction manager [Consigli Construction Co.], and Diversified Project Management. … That we sit here on time and under budget is a luxury, so, [Ms Hoerauf], thank you for the work you do.”