Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Renovation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Baldwin‑Whitehall details renovation change orders and plans for McAnulty, Wallace site; board approves related finance items
Summary
Superintendent detailed change orders and construction issues from recent renovations, saying original estimates were scaled back to meet a $20 million budget; the board approved multiple consent‑agenda items including change orders, a wireless bid for the high school, and other finance actions.
Superintendent Dr. Randy Lutz told the Baldwin‑Whitehall School District Board of School Directors the recent elementary and middle‑school renovation work generated a series of owner‑requested changes and contractor quantity allowances that produced multiple change orders. He said some items were owner requests, some were omissions on plans, and others were necessary repairs discovered after demolition and inspection.
Dr. Lutz summarized examples including added exterior and stairwell lighting, installation of additional corner guards and ADA sinks, plumbing repairs to previously hidden leaks, replacement of cast‑iron drain lines that repeatedly clogged, and changes needed after electrical inspections. He said initial project estimates had been as high as $30 million but were pared back to match available funding near $20 million.
At the meeting the board approved multiple consent‑agenda finance items related to construction and operations. Business and finance staff reported these approvals included a $13,108 deduction for unused quantity allowances at Lutz Elementary, an addition to Harrison Middle School to install 11 duct‑mounted smoke detectors, and other change orders to address unforeseen plumbing, drywall and HVAC issues. The board also accepted a bid for high‑school wireless access points from Communication Consulting Inc. totaling $289,003 (subject to E‑Rate funding that would reduce the district share to $260,743) and authorized advertisements for bids for Chromebooks and for food‑service equipment.
Superintendent Lutz said McAnulty Elementary and Whitehall Elementary are next on the district’s facility planning list and that McAnulty appears to have the highest needs; planning would likely target the summer following the current school year and extend over a 13–14 month phased renovation. Lutz also discussed the aging Wallace building and said the district expects it will likely need to be removed and replaced within five years unless major systems are repaired; he described early conversations with Baldwin Borough about a possible joint community center, mixed use of athletic practice space, and long‑term lease or partnership arrangements.
Board finance director and staff said the approved items were part of a regular consent agenda and recorded as passing according to the meeting vote totals. The board was also presented with an updated timeline for budget work this spring, including proposed lines for next year’s revenue assumptions and planned budget book distribution to trustees ahead of April meetings.
No formal vote to start McAnulty construction occurred at this meeting; Lutz said additional planning and financing work with consultants would continue and return to the board for formal approvals.
