The Cumberland School Committee on Thursday voted to authorize the superintendent to bind the committee to construction change orders of up to $25,000 per change order through Dec. 30, 2026, but only in cases where the committee cannot be convened in time to avoid schedule delays.

The committee’s action followed a presentation by Colliers Project Leaders and a wide discussion of why higher thresholds had been used during the peak of multiple concurrent building projects. Colliers project managers Patrick Damore and Anne Marie Andrade reviewed progress at the new B.F. Norton Elementary School—foundations, damp proofing, a new loop road and a circulation plan intended to move pick‑up traffic off Broad Street. Damore described the pick‑up layout as a “right turn only” in and out pattern and said diagrams will be mailed in English and Spanish to families; Andrade added the plan was coordinated with the fire marshal and police to ensure emergency access.

Why it matters: committee members said raising the administrative threshold reduces the risk of construction schedule delays when unforeseen site conditions require an immediate decision. Colliers and district staff said B.F. Norton is new construction with heavy on‑site activity and at least one recent unforeseen soil condition that may produce time‑sensitive change orders.

Discussion and amendment: the motion to renew the superintendent’s $25,000 approval threshold included an amendment requiring the authority be limited to emergency situations in which a meeting could not be convened quickly enough to avoid project delays. Committee members cited past summer emergencies and the practical difficulties of convening quick meetings during peak construction as rationale for retaining a higher threshold while adding clearer “emergency‑only” guardrails. Colliers described the prior process—where change orders above $5,000 were reviewed by building and school committee chairs and then placed on the next meeting agenda—while noting the higher threshold had been used sparingly in prior projects.

Recusal and votes: committee member Mister Bacon recused himself from the change‑order votes because his employer may be involved in site work; the amendment passed 5–0, and the amended authorization subsequently passed 5–0.

Next steps: committee members asked for precise amendment language to be drafted by legal staff and for the superintendent to continue communicating change orders to the building committee and fiscal chairs. Colliers and district staff said identified change orders will still be presented to the building committee at the next scheduled meeting for review.

Provenance: committee discussion and the amendment begin in the transcript at the old‑business introduction to the change‑order authorization (topic introduction: SEG 363) and continue through the amendment vote and final approval (topic finish: SEG 721).