Intermediate-school construction still slated to finish in December, contractor asked for action plan

Jason Day, who delivered the construction update, told the Kiski Area School District board that the general contractor's July schedule still shows the intermediate-school project finishing in December but "the schedule has gotten tighter" and some work has slowed. "We've asked the general contractor ... to provide kind of a backup plan on how he's gonna get there to finish on time," Day said.

Day reviewed work by building area. In Area A (classrooms) ceiling grid and ceiling painting are underway, ceramic tile crews have started bathroom tiling, and the flooring contractor is slated to begin work in early September. In Area B (kitchen) concrete and CMU walls are complete and framing and bulkhead work have begun; Day said stainless-steel counters and sinks were expected in late October with the remainder of kitchen equipment in early November. The new elevator is slated for a three-to-four week installation in October.

At the gym and other Area C spaces, Day said about 95% of the ductwork has been installed and crews planned to begin painting the gym once the space was cleared. Roof work is roughly two-thirds complete, and contractors expect re-roofing to continue into the fall with completion sometime in November. Day reported that West Penn Power had delivered a new transformer and staff are planning for permanent power "sometime in mid to early September." He said the mechanical contractor plans to schedule crane lifts for rooftop units once roof curbs are complete.

Day told the board there are a few change items on the agenda: the ovens for the kitchen were deducted from the contract as a direct purchase and a minor field-condition ductwork change was reduced, after redesign work, to an amount the agenda lists at about $2,000. Pointing board members to the project financials, Day said the board packet shows an "approved to date" figure listed as 5.45 and a pending estimated value of 2.11% that would revise the listed figure to 5.29; the materials in the packet do not specify units for those numeric entries.

Board members pressed staff on near-term risks and logistics: they asked that the contractor's action plan specify crew sizes, overtime plans and delivery dates for outstanding materials (including windows, which Day said the supplier had scheduled for September). Day and administration emphasized the next two to three weeks would be critical to increase onsite crews and tighten the schedule.

The board did not take a final vote on project-close dates during the session; administrators said they will continue daily coordination with the general contractor and provide an updated action plan within one to two weeks.