Connetquot facilities chief outlines timeline, $5M savings and air‑conditioning delays for $60M bond work

Mister Allen, a district facilities staff member, told the Connetquot Central School District Board of Education on Feb. 12 that the district has realized roughly $5,000,000 in savings on its $60,000,000 2022 capital project and is proposing how to spend that money on unfinished work and new scope.

Allen said the savings come from a combination of discounted contract work and in‑house project management, and he urged the board to direct staff and the architect before the district seeks state approvals. "This district has always done project management in house. Those components have put us in a position where we have approximately $5,000,000 of savings on that $60,000,000 project," Allen said.

The presentation covered ongoing and planned work across the district. Allen said the district expects to finish major high‑school work (floors, roof phase 2, electrical upgrades and HVAC for instructional spaces and offices) by September 2025, while work at several elementary schools will continue into 2026 because of long approval and equipment lead times. "I anticipate all that work being done by September of this year" for the high school, he said; for some elementary projects he said the state approval and delivery schedule could push completion into spring 2026.

Nut graf: The facilities update asked the board to consider how to use savings from prior bond projects to address remaining work (playgrounds, boilers, ADA access, and gym and cafeteria AC), while explaining state review and long lead times for electrical switchgear and HVAC equipment will delay full completion at some sites.

Playgrounds and UPK: Allen said the district installed UPK playgrounds this summer and is pursuing replacement playgrounds (2019 bond funding) for Pearl, Bosti (Duffield/Basti spelling varied in discussion) and Duffield. He said UPK playgrounds are smaller and separate from the 5–12 playground structures. He described the administration's plan to maximize building aid and said purchase orders for the four UPK playgrounds are in place; material delivery and on‑site work await State Education Department (SED) approval and scheduling.

HVAC and Univent units: Allen explained the district is installing a mix of systems (unit vents, split units, ceiling cassettes and rooftop units) rather than a wholesale UniVent replacement, citing per‑unit costs of $50,000–$60,000 for full UniVent replacements. "The Univent that we have in the district are are all working. They're adequate," Allen said, adding that newer split systems include heat‑pump redundancy so spaces will have two sources of heat.

Schedule constraints: Several board members asked why Pearl and Idle Hour projects lagged. Allen said the district prioritized schools with high special‑education populations and larger student bodies in earlier waves, and that electrical switchgear and associated equipment now face 40–50 week lead times. "The switch gear has been a year's time," he said.

Potential additional scope: Allen proposed considering pool shower/bathroom work, rooftop units that provide heating and cooling instead of replacing upper boilers, upper turf replacement and gym/cafeteria AC, but warned that any change will need board approval, architect scope development and SED review.

Transparency and community reporting: Board members asked for a public online repository showing project timelines, completed items and savings. Allen said he will prepare spreadsheets and photos for the 2019 and 2022 projects and make that information available on the district site.

Quotes and context: Allen repeatedly emphasized state approvals and contractor lead times as the main constraints, and said the district had already used savings from earlier projects (including a 2017–18 balance and 2019 bond leftover) to expand scope without impacting the general fund.

Ending: The board discussed follow‑up steps including sharing a public status page and bringing any recommended scope changes back to the board for authorization and SED submission. "We'll create those spreadsheets, and I'll highlight in some way what's been completed," Allen said.