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Board approves change orders for Martinsburg High auditorium renovation; project contingency breached after fire‑marshal work
Summary
After Mr. Tyson outlined multiple unforeseen items—including ceiling removal required by the fire marshal—the board approved change orders that staff said will push the auditorium renovation beyond its contingency, driven largely by safety-driven ceiling and utility work.
The Berkeley County Schools Board voted to approve a series of change orders for the Martinsburg High auditorium renovation after staff detailed multiple unforeseen items found during demolition and renovation. Mr. Tyson described work that included removing later-added concrete block walls to reopen circulation, installing doors and trim, addressing flooring unknowns behind walls, patching and sealing where utilities were exposed, and remediation of ceiling plaster removed when the fire marshal required abandoning light fixtures in place.
Tyson told the board the accumulated change orders totaled in the tens of thousands and that the project contingency would be exceeded by a mid-six-figure amount when the items were approved. He said the principal driver was a code/safety requirement by the fire marshal that prevented abandoning existing light fixtures and forced broader ceiling removal, exposing conduit and other utilities that required remediation. The board approved the change orders as presented.
Board members and staff discussed the relationship between the originally advertised project scope and the new work triggered by code and safety requirements; staff said contingency funds and a broader capital-plan context were being used to close the gap and that change-order reports will return as necessary.
