Board approves Bid Pack 5 work and $1.07 million in additional referendum projects to use construction savings

The Hartford Union High School District Board of Education on March 1 voted to approve a package of construction work and a set of additional referendum projects that administrators and the district's construction team said can be funded using savings from earlier bid packages.

Board members approved Bid Pack 5 items for consideration, a motion the board carried after a roll-call vote. Administrators and CG Schmidt representatives told the board they have seen savings during earlier buyouts and are recommending returning several alternate items to the scope now that contingencies and risk reserves are better understood.

CG Schmidt presenters described the items brought back for consideration, including replacing worn walk-off carpeting in high-traffic areas, perimeter fencing options for the track and field complex, scoreboard and sound-system alternatives, and roofing sequencing considerations. The presenter said selecting the scoreboard plus a separate sound system yields roughly $125,000 in savings compared with a full video board with built-in audio, and that the red-line perimeter fence option (8-foot black chain-link with no screening) was proposed to improve crowd control and safety compared with the baseline 4-foot fence included in the original scope.

On the tennis courts, the district presented three options: crack patching and resurfacing (an expected 3'25-year life), a membrane overlay (5'10 years) and full replacement (highest cost, longer life). The membrane option was priced at about $314,000; crack repair only was roughly $188,000 every 3'5 years, while full replacement was estimated at about $1.3 million.

District staff also described infrastructure items identified as needs outside the initial budget: front-entry concrete and door-gap repairs addressing pedestrian safety, under-slab drainage and plumbing issues in older sections of the building, reroofing of a maintenance shed, conversion of the English wing from electric reheats to the hydronic system used elsewhere in the building, and replacement of aging boilers (1987 units) with a modern high-efficiency boiler to support the expanded hydronic load. Security and camera coverage for Lot B was also presented as a safety measure; staff said the higher cost reflects the need to provide power and mounting there.

After discussion about priorities and alternatives, the board approved the additional referendum projects highlighted by the core team, not to exceed $1,069,835. Several board members thanked the core team for vetting choices and for conservative financial assumptions, and one board member voiced concern about overall spending levels while supporting fiscal transparency provided in the materials.

The board also approved Bid Pack 5 work not to exceed $644,834; administration said these items can be coordinated with summer construction phasing to take advantage of crews already on site, reducing disruption and cost.

Next steps: staff will finalize contracts and scheduling, coordinate with CG Schmidt on phasing and procurement, and return with any material changes. The district noted interest-earnings assumptions used in the financial summary were conservative and could improve the effective budget position.