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Windham middle‑school construction on schedule; site work uses most contingency so far
Summary
District officials told the board the new Windham Middle School is about three years into a three‑year build by timeline and that site work has consumed most of the project contingency while building work remains largely on budget.
Windham Raymond School District officials reported steady progress Wednesday on the new Windham Middle School and said most of the money spent so far from the project contingency has been for site work rather than building construction. The district said the overall schedule represents about three years of work and that the project is approximately 39 percent complete by months elapsed.
District Superintendent Mr. Howell told the board that construction and procurement items have proceeded without major technology or materials problems and that one wing of the building is largely complete in steel while the second wing is being worked on now. “We are officially 39% of the way into our build if you look at number of months,” Howell said. He added that two of three athletic fields have been seeded and are growing and that interior cement walls and steel studs work is already underway.
Why it matters: the board and public have been tracking contingency use and schedule milestones closely because the bond-funded project is a major capital commitment. Howell told the board that the district has used about 17 percent of the contingency to date and that much of that spending represents site development that preceded above‑grade construction. He said no building‑side contingency has yet been charged and many change orders to date have been credits rather than additional costs.
Board members and the construction committee visited a vendor furniture “show” where staff tested classroom chairs and provided feedback via QR codes; the superintendent described the event as a practical way to build staff input into classroom finishes. Howell also said the architect and construction manager are coordinating to install more permanent stairs and safer access before arranging a full board site visit.
Supporting details: the district reported stronger than expected interest income on bond proceeds held in interest‑bearing accounts; that interest will be split per the bond rules, with 75 percent going back to the state renovation fund and 25 percent retained for the project. Howell reported that most initial contingency use was driven by site preparation that started earlier than the building framing work.
The board did not take formal action on the project at Wednesday’s meeting; facilities and the construction committee will continue routine oversight and forward updates to the full board and the public.
