Board Of Finance Receives Some Good News: NMS Roof Project Is On Schedule

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Newtown Middle School roof project was roughly 65 percent completed by Monday, August 8. Chuck Boos, the principal of New Britain-based Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc, which is handling the project, reported the update to the Board of Finance during its meeting Monday evening.

At the end of the meeting, First Selectman Pat Llodra spoke favorably of Kaestle Boos and the subcontractors on the project, saying the work on the Queen Street site should set a standard for how projects are expected to run in the future, as far as communication and interaction between contractors and the town is concerned.

“This is the best run project, and this is about the seventh or eighth school project I have seen, by far the best organized project that I have ever witnessed,” Mrs Llodra said.

Mr Boos told the finance board there is no fear that the project will interfere with the opening of the middle school for the 2011-12 academic year. Teachers will report to school for August 25, and students start school on August 30.

In response to a question for BOF member Martin Gersten, Board of Education member David Nanavaty, who attended Monday’s meeting, said there is no contingency plan if the project is not completed on schedule, but said Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson is monitoring the situation and will put a plan in place if needed.

A diagram presented by Mr Boos showed his firm expects most of the work to be completed by August 12, with reroofing, he said, continuing through the third week in August.

One surprise during the project came when a contractor removed a ceiling and discovered holes in the corridor walls outside from the school’s main office and library media center. The wall was fixed for roughly $96,000, according to Mr Boos. Other unexpected costs have come up on the project, including the removal of asbestos for $15,000.

Nevertheless, Mr Boos was able to reiterate, “We’re on schedule.”

If work continues to go on schedule, Mrs Llodra said the project should be within its $4.2 million budget.

Dr Robinson has noted that if the project continues after students begin the academic year, work will not interfere with the regular school routine. At the end of July, Dr Robinson said the expected full completion date for the project was estimated at September 15.

As announced on the school’s website (and reported in The Bee in July), only staff is permitted into the building at this time. “No Trespassing” signs have been posted on chain-link fencing erected around the school’s property. A few weeks after work on the NMS roof project began, the school district announced that contractors had asked for the property to be closed to the public while work is underway.

Touring The

Middle School

Newtown Middle School Principal Diane Sherlock, the school district’s Director of Facilities Gino Faiella, and NMS Head Custodian Don Roos were on site and walking the hallways on Wednesday, August 10.

Ms Sherlock said she does not expect everything to be completed by the time school begins for students on August 30, but said contractors will work after school is out to complete the project.

“We just need the classroom space done and the hallways done,” said Ms Sherlock.

If the building’s gymnasiums are not complete in time, Ms Sherlock said students can attend physical education courses outside, weather permitting.

One blessing Ms Sherlock noted has been having nice weather since the start of the roof work.

Wires, lights, and piping that will eventually be covered by ceiling were exposed on Wednesday in the school’s main lobby and along the A, B, and C wings of the facility.

Inside the school’s cafeteria the ceiling has been prepared for the two new skylights. Mr Faiella and Mr Roos said the new skylights should help minimize heat in the cafeteria. The three skylights that were in the cafeteria, Ms Faiella said, let too much heat in.

“Hopefully it will be more comfortable for the kids in here,” said Mr Faiella.

As they walked along the building’s C-Wing corridor, Ms Sherlock asked, “Don’t you think this is exciting, Gino?”

“That this is finally getting done?” Mr Faiella responded. “Yes.”

Mr Faiella, Ms Sherlock, and Mr Roos all agreed the contractors on the project are doing good work.

“They are doing excellent work,” said Mr Roos, “and I think they are doing it much faster than we thought they would.”

As interior work on the project is completed, the areas will be readied for the start of school.

A slideshow of photographs from Wednesday’s tour of the facility is available at www.newtownbee.com.