Richborough Elementary change orders: playground engineered wood fiber added; multiple contractor credits reported

District facilities staff on March 6 detailed change orders for the Richborough Elementary School construction package, including an add to replace playground surfacing in the kindergarten area and credits (deducts) to several trade contractors for unused allowances.

Jessica Binda, supervisor of facilities, said the contractor Penn Builders would furnish and install engineered wood-fiber surfacing at the existing kindergarten playground, including removal and disposal of 12 inches of existing mulch and soil. The change order add for that scope was reported as $31,798.50. Binda said the kindergarten playground was kept from an earlier phase and needed separate treatment from the larger first-through-sixth playground package.

Binda also reported credit change orders (deducts) for unused allowance money on the Richborough project: an electrical contractor credit of $61,573.20, a mechanical contractor credit of $103,459.61 and a plumbing contractor credit of $14,411. She clarified these are project credits for allowances not spent and that the money was in the project budget — it is not a cash refund to the district general fund but reduces planned spend against the project budget.

The facilities supervisor gave construction quantities for the playground surfacing work: about 244 cubic yards of engineered wood fiber, covering roughly 4,370 square feet. Board members asked whether the kindergarten playground had been included in previous playground packages; staff confirmed the new wood fiber in the first-through-sixth playground was separate from the retained kindergarten area.

Ending: Staff noted the change orders and credits as part of the construction closeout process and said the items would be reflected in the project accounting in the capital program.