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Board hears facilities progress; Main Avenue modular project faces state grant deadline and design revisions
Summary
Staff reported Bell Avenue preschool construction nearing completion while Main Avenue modular preschool/TK project required design changes to meet pre-K specifications and may need a State Allocation Board/OPSC extension because Division of State Architect approval and related contracts are not yet finalized.
Robla School District facilities staff and outside program managers updated the board on ongoing construction and a separate modular project that is at risk of missing key state funding deadlines.
VP of implementation services Gerald Schober and Senior Program Manager Noreen Bruno of Caldwell Flores Winters (CFW) reported that the Bell Avenue project was in its final stages with substantial completion targeted in early February and classroom furniture scheduled to arrive the week of Feb. 10. Remaining sidewalk and asphalt patching were due by Jan. 27, and a punch-list walk was set for Jan. 29.
By contrast, the Main Avenue modular preschool and TK/kindergarten project required revisions to meet preschool-specific specifications (restrooms, outdoor play areas and preschool classroom layouts). Those changes extended the design timeline and left the project at risk of missing the March 27, 2025 deadline for state PSCP/PSTK-related funding. Schober told the board the elements that OPSC (Office of Public School Construction) typically requires for certification are Division of State Architect (DSA) plan approval, a contracted lease-leaseback builder, and formal modular contractor agreements; the project did not yet have all three in place.
Schober said the project team had solicited lease-leaseback contractor responses and received seven proposals; interviews were scheduled and staff planned to recommend a contractor pending interviews. CFW and district staff are continuing value-engineering efforts to bring the modular proposal closer to budget. The presentation noted that DSA approval alone can take two to four months and that, given the current timeline, the district would be pursuing an extension from the State Allocation Board/OPSC while continuing design and procurement tasks.
Board members pressed staff on why the revised preschool requirements were not caught earlier. CFW and district leadership said lessons learned from the Bell Avenue project prompted the additional preschool-specific design work and that the district’s program priorities shifted since the 2023 project authorization, requiring a design refinement rather than a simple permit step.
The facilities update also included several action items on the consent and action calendars. The board approved change order work at Bell Avenue (to replace preschool-appropriate toilets and install luxury vinyl tile in preschool spaces), a modular construction contract and a subsequent amendment after value-engineering reduced cost by roughly $113,761.
Ending
District staff said they will continue design submissions to DSA, complete the lease-leaseback procurement, and ask OPSC for an extension if required; staff will return to the board with formal recommendations and timeline updates.
