Board approves $137,929.80 in change orders; discusses $250,000 reallocation to cover Chatham Park overruns

At its Aug. 7, 2025 work session, the Haverford Township School District board approved change orders totaling $137,929.80 and discussed transferring $250,000 in contingency funds from the Coopertown project to Chatham Park to cover additional costs at Chatham Park.

Board members voted on the change orders during the action portion of the meeting. Board member Shelton moved to approve the change orders and Vitale seconded; the motion passed by voice vote. Earlier in the meeting the board approved the consent agenda (items b–d) with one abstention: Board member Schwartz abstained on item 3c because it involved a paid internship appointment for his child.

District construction staff and contractors told the board that Chatham Park has experienced a steady stream of unforeseen conditions since the gymnasium was turned over in June. A contractor representative said demolition work exposed brittle terracotta brick, damaged door jambs and other hidden conditions; the representative described “day after day” of new issues that have added rapidly to costs and said the project has incurred nearly $300,000 in additional costs since June. The representative also described three broad categories of cost changes on the project: owner-initiated changes, unforeseen conditions and omissions in the drawings, each of which the representative said accounts for material costs to date.

District staff said the reallocation proposal would move $250,000 from contingency at Coopertown to Chatham Park. Tony Testa (district project manager) reported that the district’s bond counsel/financial advisor PFM had reviewed the bond usage and that the bond terms allow flexibility to use bond proceeds for the cafeteria and related work at both Chatham Park and Coopertown. Testa and the construction team said Coopertown’s remaining contingency still exceeds what staff expect to need and that Coopertown’s scope and fewer complex elements (for example, Coopertown is one story and its gym is not being rebuilt) make it less likely to need the same additional funds as Chatham Park.

Board members pressed the construction team on schedule and cost risk. The contractor representative said the project team expects to complete major items — fire alarm, life-safety systems and classrooms — in roughly three weeks and that the district has been paying overtime to maintain schedule because students are returning for the fall term and no time extension is planned. Staff said some additional small charges may still arrive as contractors finalize paperwork, and the $250,000 figure could be adjusted slightly after the team completes end-of-week reconciliations.

Facilities staff also briefed the board on related capital items tied to the Chatham Park project: a proposal to commit funds now to purchase 14 smart boards so they can be installed while wiring and construction are underway, and a plan to solicit formal bids for four pieces of high-school food-service equipment because that purchase is funded by federal dollars and subject to stricter procurement rules. Staff said the smart-board purchases would be coordinated with the contractor for hanging and with district technology staff for configuration.

Board members asked about cost recovery options. Staff described one change that is net-zero to the district: a damaged floor drain will be charged as a deduct under the general contractor and added to the plumbing contractor so the project cost is balanced between contracts. The construction representative and Testa said the district is tracking omissions and unforeseen conditions daily and assessing whether any costs could be pursued through design professional insurance, but they said so far the totals remain within ranges where pursuing insurance is not typical.

The board was scheduled to consider formal reallocation and any additional change orders at the Aug. 21 action meeting once staff finish reconciling the final logs and contingency projections.