UPPER DUBLIN, Pa. — The Upper Dublin School District Board of School Directors on Aug. 26 approved finance committee recommendations that included a change order of approximately $265,054 for the recently replaced Maple Glen Elementary School roof after contractors uncovered more damaged plywood than the bid documents anticipated.

District staff told the board the extra work was covered by unit-price items that were included in the original bid. "Their bid was based on the project as written by the project architect," said Mister Lachman, a district staff member who addressed the board during the finance discussion. "All of the costs were based on unit costs that were defined as part of the bid. So, it's not that we experienced any costs that were not already defined in the bid that was submitted by the contractor on the project."

The issue drew questions during public comment. One attendee referenced a change order total of $265,054 and asked why such a large difference was not detected before contracting. Jamie Taylor, a resident, raised similar concerns about how large change orders affect the district budget and tax relief. "That's almost a third of increase on the price from the beginning, and it just is a big miss," Taylor said.

Nut graf: The change order prompted public questions about oversight and budget impacts. District officials said the contract included unit pricing for additional plywood and other repairs that would be billed only if needed; district staff and the project architect inspected sample areas when preparing specifications but could not fully assess hidden plywood deterioration until shingles were removed.

Board and staff details
Mister Schroeder moved to approve the finance committee recommendations (items including the Maple Glen change order); Mister Held seconded the motion. During discussion, Mister Lachman and other administrators explained that the low bid contractor (identified in committee as the project bidder) based its price on the architect's specifications and that supplemental plywood replacement was priced through pre-set unit costs. The board approved the motion by voice vote; the meeting record shows the motion carried with all members saying "aye." The board did not provide a roll-call vote listing individual yes/no positions in the meeting transcript.

Why the change order occurred
According to district remarks, when crews removed shingles they discovered widespread plywood deterioration that required replacement across larger sections than anticipated. Those additional plywood repairs were billed under unit prices that were published in the bid documents; staff characterized unit pricing as a protection for the district because it locks in per-unit rates rather than leaving them open to future price fluctuations.

What the board approved and next steps
The finance committee motion approved multiple finance items at once, including the Maple Glen roof change order. Board members said they will continue to monitor contract execution and that the district uses unit pricing to avoid unpriced contingencies. No additional contingency funding or funding source reallocation was cited in the meeting transcript. The administration said it would address detailed questions about the contract and payments at follow-up finance meetings if requested.

Ending: The board moved on to other agenda items after the finance vote. The district’s next finance committee meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17, at which committee members may provide additional detail on project invoicing and final costs.