Construction continues, costs mount at LUSD's McNair High

Construction at Ronald E. McNair High School is behind several months, due in part to repairs and modifications that have already cost the Lodi Unified School District about $6 million more than originally contracted.

At Tuesday's meeting, the board approved change orders that resulted in a $95,235 bill to the district, which takes into account a $60,454 credit.

Modifications and repairs to work already done require the board of trustees to approve change orders in a process that puts the responsibility for payment on a contractor or the district.

North Stockton's new campus is being built in three phases. The first phase is nearly complete and includes the main building, which will house most classrooms, administration offices and the library. It also includes the gymnasium, parking lots and the city park. Phase II includes the multi-purpose building, consumer education building, swimming pool, stadium, track and athletic fields. Phase III entails widening West Lane, constructing the entrance to the school at McNair Lane, and constructing an intersection at Morada and West lanes.

Some change orders entail repairs to property that was damaged through separate projects and different contractors. For instance, after electrical workers installed wiring to a building, other workers damaged ceiling tiles which then had to be replaced, said Mamie Starr, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Planning .

"On many of these things there wasn't good coordination on the work," Starr said.

Contracts were structured, paperwork-wise, in such a way that the board of trustees would have to see more detailed information about change orders. Normally, contractors might work things out at the job site, and the board might see a packet of all the change orders at the end of construction, Starr added. With McNair, they're getting packets at each board meeting. The number of change orders varies with each approval, Starr said.

To date there have been 53 change orders put to the board — 32 in Phase I and 21 for Phase II — and the board of trustees has approved every one.

Overall increases for Phase I and II total about $6.34 million.

Phase I costs increased about 10.22 percent, from $37.55 million to $41.39 million. Phase II costs increased about 13.18 percent rise, from $18.98 million to $21.48 million.

Each week, members of the district meet with their construction manager, the local construction company Douglas E. Barnhardt, to discuss modifications to the McNair High School construction project, Starr said.

Superintendent Bill Huyett said the district and Douglas E. Barnhardt determine the responsibility for each job and pay the contractor who does the work. Conversely, if a contractor is responsible for damages, the district withholds pay from their contract, or "charges back" the cost.

Change orders alter the original contract, so the board of trustees must be informed. But because work can't be stopped during that process, the board eats the cost until it determines who pays.

Starr said the chargeback process is ongoing, and the amount the district pays in the end can't be determined until all the work is completed.

"There's a large number of them now because we're at the end of the job," Starr said. "We compressed the (construction) timeline so we could get kids in there a year earlier. Once they get all four grades there it's going to be a great school."

McNair opened last school year to about 1,100 students in ninth and 10th grades. The school will continue to add grade levels until its first senior class graduates in 2007.

Starr said the "incremental process" means that more credits could be coming down the pipe, and there's no way yet to tell how far behind, or ahead, the district is.

Contact reporter Kendyce Manguchei at kendycem@lodinews.com.

In other action

• The district welcomed Tony Shah as principal of Henderson Community Day School. Shah was most recently assistant principal of Lincoln High, and previously was a student and family programs coordinator in the Sacramento City Unified School District.
• Lodi and Tokay High schools will be receiving state grant funding to improve agriculture programs. Lodi shall receive $21,664 while Tokay will receive $10,664.
• Assistant Superintendent Catherine Pennington, Davis Elementary principal Bev Brayshaw and kindergarten teacher Kathy Gau presented the results of an extended-day kindergarten program, in which students attended 290 hours of school instead of the standard 200. The program was conducted at no cost to the district because they didn't have to pay for extra transportation or equipment. 54 percent of kindergartners reached a benchmark in their developmental reading level in 2005-06 compared to 38 percent in school year 2004-05. Twenty-four percent were reading at a first-grade level, compared with 8 percent the year before. Hopes are to expand the program to other schools this coming year, but this would require double the number of classrooms. Students' first grade progress will be recorded this school year.
• A reception for Mamie Starr, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Planning, who is leaving the district after 22 years, will be held on Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the James Areia Education Support Center, located 1305 East Vine Street.

First published: Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Reader Feedback

Doc Holliday wrote on Jul 25, 2006 12:20 AM:

" I feel for the LUSD board...if you think that you are going to recover the $6 Million...you need to open you eyes and stop approving each and every change order...What makes you think that these contractors are going to be in business after the project is opened? "

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