Committee on Joint School Buildings hears update on Priority 1 school projects and accepts report

The Committee on Joint School Buildings heard an update on the Manchester School District’s Priority 1 construction program and accepted the report for informational transmittal to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Board of School Committee.

The presentation covered recent preconstruction work, early-release procurement for site work, steel, concrete and windows, progress on construction documents, geotechnical findings and the schedule through summer 2026. Mark Lenfest, presenting for the project team, said Consigli has mobilized at Hillside and McLaughlin and that early-release packages and 90% construction documents for Group 1 have been issued.

Why it matters: the Priority 1 projects affect several occupied school sites, require temporary modular classrooms, and include site work where soil testing found some contamination that will need management. The schedule and procurement decisions will determine near-term construction costs, modular removal timing and when classrooms are returned to regular use.

Project status and near-term work Project managers reported weekly OAC (owner‑architect‑contractor) meetings, continued programming for Parkside and Southside, and completion of several early procurement packages intended to address long-lead items. The team said it will seek awards for early Group 1 scopes (site work, steel, concrete, windows) and expects to reconcile…