District gets construction and referendum schedule update; value engineering yields modest surplus

Board members heard a construction update from ICS representatives that summarized budget, pending value‑engineering (VE) items and a firm schedule for upcoming referendum work.

Jason of ICS told the board the last value‑engineering exercise approved $954,560 in savings, with about $300,000 of additional VE under review (site work, soil corrections, bus‑loop asphalt, playground changes and exterior concrete). Jason said the VE process currently shows an anticipated surplus of roughly $131,000 once pending items are resolved. He reported the project cost to date at $2,659,838.

Damian (ICS) and other project staff also outlined the design and approval timeline: a PAC meeting scheduled for April 14, design development submission for referendum 2 on May 21, construction mobilization beginning May 1 (site preparation and utility relocations) and major construction starting June 1; the district’s groundbreaking ceremony is set for May 22 at 2 p.m.

User‑group feedback influencing decisions included athletic field layout choices (preferred track layout with 720‑seat bleachers, concessions, storage and multi‑sport accommodations), turf and track sampling procurement, outdoor learning spaces (amphitheater seating, gardens and a bridge to trails), and theater upgrades (motorized lighting, flexible seating and finish updates). Board members pressed on skylights and solar tube cuts; one trustee urged restoring solar tubes if budget allows.

What’s next: Staff will circulate the remaining design options to the board and PAC, provide sample selections for turf and track, and prepare documents for bidding in mid‑summer. Project milestones, including PAC meetings and submission dates, were listed for spring and summer action.

Quote: “We do anticipate a surplus when this exercise is complete of approximately $131,000,” Jason (ICS) told the board.