Board reviews renovation and new-construction estimates for Jefferson Elementary; consultants estimate $22.8M–$27.3M depending on option

Jefferson County school officials and project consultants spent the board’s work session reviewing competing options to address problems at Jefferson Elementary School: a phased renovation or a new building. Consultants presented line-item estimates, construction timelines, and risk points; board members pressed for an itemized breakdown they can review at the next meeting.

Blankenship and Partners, the architecture/engineering team the board previously selected, presented a revised renovation estimate. Blankenship said the hard construction costs in the revised estimate total about $19.9 million and that soft costs bring the revised renovation subtotal to about $22.78 million. Blankenship added that a commonly requested owner’s representative/building-manager fee (about 4% of hard costs) would add roughly $617,000 and bring the “grand total project cost” to about $23.4 million. Blankenship also said a hazardous-materials abatement for Jefferson Elementary would cost about $250,000 and discussed a proposed summer abatement window of roughly 60 days.

Board members asked several substantive questions during the presentation. One board member noted a previous motion (September 23) that asked Blankenship to provide a detailed, itemized estimate “per the approved scope of work.” During the session a board member asked whether the contractor’s estimate included enlarging classrooms under 800 square feet; Blankenship replied that enlarging those classrooms was not included in the estimate but that he would recheck with his contractor. The board requested a further breakdown “of every item on this list and how much each one costs” and directed staff and Blankenship to return with line-item pricing at the next meeting.

Blankenship described the planning schedule: a schematic design phase of roughly 75 days followed by design development and construction documents, an abatement period planned for June–July, and a major interior construction period starting in late fall. Blankenship said interior work would likely proceed in phases so students could remain on-site during construction; he estimated roughly two years of construction.

Lewis Group Architects, the firm that prepared a new-construction option, presented its independent estimate for a new Jefferson Elementary to be built on a county-owned site. Lewis Group said the proposed new school would be about 77,090 square feet and used a per-square-foot rate of $292 to derive a building-and-site cost of $23,744,794. Lewis Group’s soft-cost budget (fees, permits, FF&E, testing, utilities and contingencies) added about $3.5 million, producing a total project estimate of $27,280,794. Lewis Group estimated 4–5 months to complete construction documents, bidding in late summer, and a 20–22 month construction schedule that would place occupancy around the 2027–28 school year, assuming funding and bidding align with the schedule.

On procurement, board members and staff clarified that the district would need full project funding in hand before issuing purchase orders and starting construction. Several board members emphasized the need for additional geotechnical borings and site investigation so bids can include any necessary undercut or rock mitigation in the base bid rather than as change orders. Blankenship and Lewis Group also discussed standard contracting protections, including stipulated-sum contracts and liquidated-damage provisions tied to a guaranteed maximum price and a contractor’s completion date.

Board members flagged specific items for follow-up: (1) Blankenship will recheck whether classroom-size increases were included and return an itemized cost breakdown for each line item on the previously approved scope, (2) staff and consultants will refine the abatement schedule and costs and explore summer abatement, (3) additional geotechnical borings and site work pricing will be obtained before bidding to limit unknowns under the base bid. No final procurement decision or binding contract was approved during the session; the board directed staff to return with requested clarifications and line-item estimates.