Cleveland City Schools board approves $25,615 change order for Arnold Elementary parking lot

The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education voted to approve a $25,615.46 change order for the Arnold Elementary parking-lot project to address unexpected drainage piping and city code requirements.

The additional work includes replacement of misaligned drainage piping between buildings, installation of a new catch basin, excavation, and limited repaving that extends into the adjacent roadway. Hal Taylor, who presented the item, said crews found piping that “does not match anything that we had” and that the existing piping elevations would create ongoing problems if not corrected. Taylor told the board the total change order is $25,615.46; the project has $10,000 in contingency, leaving an additional $15,615.46 to be funded.

“Being in a school that was built in 1926 and through decades of changes that weren’t recorded, it’s led to this,” Taylor said, describing how past undocumented work contributed to the problem. He also noted that the city’s parking-code requirement for green spaces increased costs by about $2,500.

Taylor said a strip of pavement that runs into the public roadway accounts for $7,770 of the change; he told the board the district contacted the city and asked whether the city would contribute, but that city staff were not prepared to commit to repairs and the district must proceed now to avoid remobilization and further delays.

Director of Schools Dr. Jeff Elliott presented the recommendation and asked the board for approval to move forward with the construction change order. The board made and seconded a motion; the board clerk recorded unanimous support. The roll call recorded board members voting “yes” as: Renee (Dinan/Diamond), Matt Coleman, Carolyn Ingram, Andy Lay, Peggy Pesterfield, Jody Riggins and Nate Tucker. The motion passed.

Board members who spoke in support emphasized the safety and functionality improvements the work would bring. One board member said teachers had to walk in water during heavy rain and described that as “not acceptable.”

The change order approval authorizes the contractor to perform the additional drainage and paving work; the district did not record any additional funding source beyond applying the existing $10,000 contingency and absorbing the remaining $15,615.46 in project funds.

The board did not record an explicit mover or seconder by name in the transcript.

The district’s presentation did not reference a specific ordinance or state statute as the legal basis for action; the work was presented as a facilities maintenance and safety remediation measure.

The board’s action closes this agenda item and authorizes staff to proceed with the specified repairs and adjustments at Arnold Elementary.