Cheshire committees approve FF&E and technology packages for Norton and Barnum schools

The Next Generation School Building Committee (NGSBC) and the Cheshire Board of Education voted unanimously to approve final construction documents and professional cost estimates for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) and technology at Norton Elementary School and Barnum (North End) Elementary, and to submit both packages to the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services/Office of Government Accountability for written approval.

Tekton Architects senior project manager Justin Hopkins presented the FF&E and technology packages and said the two school projects remain on schedule for occupancy in summer 2026. "Schedule wise, we're ahead of the game," Hopkins said, and recommended the committee move forward with state approvals so procurement can begin in time for long lead items.

Why it matters: the approvals clear the way for the district to procure classroom furniture, cafeteria and media furnishings, maintenance equipment and technology hardware (including 86-inch interactive displays, wireless access points and Chromebook charging carts) ahead of summer installation. Hopkins told the committees Barnum’s combined owner FF&E/IT budget was presented higher than Norton because bid savings were applied differently; Barnum’s combined budget was shown at roughly $3.5 million while Norton’s was roughly $2.2 million.

Arcadis owner’s representative Rich Sitnik told the committee Norton has realized substantial bid savings and contingency. "For Norton…there was a bid savings of $836,000. We put that aside. That's in addition to the owner's contingency, which is $4,036,000," Sitnik said during discussion of funding options.

Tekton presented three options for committee action: (1) approve only Barnum (North End) and defer Norton until scope aligns with budget; (2) approve both sets of drawings and estimates and reconcile shortfalls later through bid buyouts and vendor pricing; or (3) approve both now and reallocate contingency/bid savings to cover Norton’s shortfall. The consultant’s cost estimates showed Barnum’s FF&E and technology estimate at $2,910,049 (about $609,951 below the presented Barnum budget) and Norton’s estimate at $2,455,800 (about $257,200 above Norton’s presented budget).

After discussion about parity between the two schools and the risk that contingency could be consumed by unforeseen items, a committee member moved to allocate $257,200 from Norton bid savings to the Norton FF&E and technology package to cover the estimated shortfall. The motion was seconded and adopted by the NGSBC. The Cheshire Board of Education then approved the Norton documents as presented.

The committees also approved the Barnum (North End) FF&E and technology documents and professional cost estimates with identical motions; those approvals were unanimous. Each approval included a subsequent motion to submit the approved documents to the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services/Office of Government Accountability for written approval; those submission motions also passed unanimously.

Committee members asked questions about durability and teacher input on furniture selection, maintenance equipment storage, procurement methods, and the impact of tariffs. Hopkins said the furniture selections were test-fit by faculty and are purpose-built for schools; maintenance equipment will be deployed or stored at central facilities as needed; and procurement will use a combination of state contracts, bids, and direct purchases. He also noted the state is transitioning procurement platforms (CTSource to MHEC), which has delayed some vendor pricing collection.

Next steps: with the committee and board approvals, staff will submit the FF&E and technology packages for Norton and Barnum to DAS/OGA for written approval, begin procurement planning, and proceed with summer 2026 installation scheduling.