School Bd Moves To Rebid NHS Expansion

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Board of Education voted in favor of rebidding the Newtown High School expansion project during its meeting on Tuesday, December 3, after debating the option of redesigning part or all of the project and different options for alternates.

During the meeting, the board heard from multiple public participants who expressed strong sentiments regarding the proposed addition for the culinary space at the school.

The budget for the project, as originally approved by voters last April, was for $38.8 million, but after bids came in over budget by more than $6 million an additional appropriation was requested and turned down by voters in October.

After a presentation by Ed Barrett, the construction manager with the Morganti Group, the board discussed options that could be eliminated from the project. Joe Costa, with the architectural firm Fletcher Thompson, used a diagram of the additional space designed for the culinary rooms in the project to show the board one area that was in question during its last meeting as an example of items that could be cut back from the project.

Board member Kathy Fetchick asked if different ideas for the culinary courses had been examined, like having students sent out in the community to work in restaurants, before the decision to add more space was made. Board member Richard Gaines asked if the specific brand appliances were necessary for the project as they are specified by Fletcher Thompson.

NHS Assistant Principal John Tusch said having students sent into the community had been discussed, but it would be complicated and would not make enough room in the courses for incoming students. Mr Costa, with Fletcher Thompson, said the brand-name appliances were only named to show the scale and quality of the appliances the project needs.

As requested during the last board meeting, Mr Barrett presented a list of different bid packages and value management items that could be used to decrease the cost of the project.

“If you look at this list, it’s a lot of small items,” said Ms Fetchick. She added the value management items were good for cutting money out of the project, but it will not cut the $6 million that is needed.

Mr Barrett presented newly combined bid packages he said would be more conducive to gaining more contractors for the project and lower the ultimate price.

By breaking it up he said, the board could save between $200,000 to $300,000. He also said that if the project starts the rebid process now, the project could be started in time to only have to work through one winter instead of two, which will make it a 19-month project not a 23-month project. He said this will also cut the cost by roughly $200,000.

“The goal is additional bidders,” said Mr Barrett.

 Potentially savings from the current economic recession, he said, will have an effect on the $15 million materials that will be used in the project.

Ms Fetchick said she was concerned for the project, because she said the students at the school really need the new space.

“We absolutely need this addition,” said Ms Fetchick. “We absolutely need to get these students into the expansion as soon as possible.”

She added that if the project does not come in under budget after the bidding process, she is afraid the board will be spinning its wheels again.

Board member David Nanavaty moved to add a stairway and a bridge in the expansion project to the list of alternates. The board voted 4 to 3 in favor of the motion.

First Selectman Joe Borst, who attended the meeting as a response to a request made by the school board during its last meeting, said he does not know how the gym teachers can teach in the gym, because he has stood in during classes and their voices can not be heard over the ventilation system. He also said the culinary arts students make “delicious food.”

“I think we should go out and rebid this job as is,” Mr Borst said.

In a 6 to 1 vote the board decided to move forward with rebidding the project with the addition of the value management modifications and alternates for the track, synthetic field, tennis courts, gym, basement storage, lightening protection, lock to ground face, main entry realignment, and parking areas as alternates.

“I just feel that this is what the people expect us to do first before we start completely redesigning the project,” said Board Vice Chair Lillian Bittman.

Public Participation

Public participation at the meeting was dominated by people who came to the board meeting to support culinary courses at the school, but some members of the public also used the time to address concerns about the high school expansion in general.

“I’m here tonight to express my frustration regarding the lack of movement on the high school expansion project,” said Newtown Middle School PTA President Mary Ann Jacob. “And as all of you know, I’ve strongly supported asking the public, not only for the initial $38 million, but also for the additional $6 million funding so that the expansion could be built as designed. I’m as disappointed as anyone can be that the vote failed, and we are left to make difficult decisions.”

Ms Jacob said she has patiently watched and listened to the board since October 7.

“But I don’t hear any significant discussion that will get you to the $38 million the voters have agreed to give you,” Ms Jacob said.

She said the if the board does not find the money now, the students entering the school next year will graduate before the benefits of the expansion can affect them.

 In response to the school board looking to the expected new space in the addition for culinary classes as an option to be trimmed from the expected project, multiple members of the community, including students from the high school, spoke in support of the what the course could accomplish with more space.

Steve Goodridge, a parent of the student in the course, said the culinary course is not just about students cooking, but about students learning a list of skills in the course that will prepare them for work in the community.

“This is a program that I think needs to be expanded,” said Mr Goodridge.

Students in the culinary program also brought appetizers to the Board of Education meeting to help support a presentation made by Jay Daly, the department chair of the Fine and Applied Arts Department at NHS. He had prepared a presentation that pinpointed what students and teachers in fine and applied art classes have been achieving.

New Officers Appointed

During a separate portion of the meeting the school board also voted for officers to fill the seats of vice chair and secretary. Lillian Bittman was voted to be the new vice chair of the board, and Kathy Fetchick was voted as the board’s secretary.