Board approves $120,000 Foster School exterior treatment change order

The District 65 Board of Education approved a construction change order for Foster School during the Committee of the Whole on Aug. 4, adding about $120,000 to the painting contract to apply a protective coating to the building’s precast exterior. Administrators said the precast material used on the new Foster School is visually different from traditional brick and, without the coating, may require greater maintenance and cleaning over time. The owner’s representative and district staff recommended the coating be included to reduce future upkeep and soiling. Why it matters: The change order increases the painting contract to $621,020 and will be paid from the project contingency; district staff confirmed the amount is within the project budget and does not require additional district operating funds. Board action - Motion: A motion to approve the Foster School K and J painting change order to increase the contract value to $621,020 was moved and seconded at the Aug. 4 meeting. - Roll-call vote: The board voted in favor (Weimer: yes; Anderson: yes; Salem: yes; Wilkins: yes; Pinkford: yes; Oakdike: yes). The motion carried. Administration note - Staff said the requested coating is more than graffiti protection—administrators described it as a maintenance-preservation coating that will make the exterior easier to clean and preserve over time. The work will be paid from the project's contingency and is within the overall Foster budget. Ending The board approved the change order and asked staff to circulate specific contingency and project-budget figures as a follow-up to the board.