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Burke County board chooses construction manager at risk for new elementary school
Summary
Burke County Board of Education voted to use the construction manager at risk (CMAR) delivery method for a planned on-site replacement elementary school after staff reported other districts cited better timeline control with CMAR.
The Burke County Board of Education voted to use construction manager at risk as the delivery method for a planned new elementary school, saying the approach offers tighter timeline control for an on-site replacement project.
Board member Taylor moved the motion, saying, "we accept construction manager at risk as our method of construction delivery." The motion was seconded by Board member Kemp and adopted by voice vote.
Superintendent/administrative staff presented the board with a summary of interviews with seven other North Carolina districts about delivery methods. Staff said districts that use CMAR reported better control of schedules and earlier contractor involvement in design. One presenter described the common rationale: involving the construction manager early provides "design assistance and feedback, and a known cost to the project" and reduces later change orders.
Staff also told the board that districts calling design-bid-build their "traditional" method still sometimes preferred CMAR for complex on-site replacements because CMAR allowed tailoring schedules and meeting tight timelines. Board members asked whether interviewees reported consistent differences in final cost between methods; staff said interviewed districts did not provide conclusive, comparable budget metrics and that cost outcomes varied with project circumstances.
Presenters highlighted timeline pressure for an on-site replacement: with a closed campus to be vacated and a target of students being in the new building before the fall term, staff noted limited months for transition and that CMAR can reduce the need for late change orders because the contractor participates early in design.
Board members were told staff had planned to return with further detail but chose to vote at this meeting. Staff offered to answer additional questions before a previously anticipated vote date.
The board's approval directs staff to proceed with CMAR as the chosen delivery method; the board did not at this meeting adopt a contract or select a specific construction manager.
