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Board approves $1.03M Hubert Middle School GMP increase, authorizes West Chatham design phase
Summary
The board approved a $1,026,822 GMP change order to address flooding at Hubert Middle School—raising the GMP to $19,734,115—and authorized phase‑2 design and construction administration for the West Chatham Schools project (SCL $186,951,000; design fee $8,880,173). Members called for earlier board input and clearer communication on project design.
The Savannah‑Chatham County school board on July 8 approved a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) change order worth $1,026,822 for Hubert Middle School to add civil and drainage work addressing persistent field flooding, increasing the project GMP to $19,734,115.
Procurement staff said the change order covers additional underground storm collection, retaining walls, sidewalks, landscaping and lighting needed for permitting. "The cost of this work...is $1,026,822," staff reported; the work is outside the original contract scope and is fully funded so no budget transfer is required. The motion to approve the change order was moved, seconded and approved.
Board members who taught or worked at Hubert described longstanding flooding there. "When I taught summer school one year at Hubert, we were rescued in boats," said Dr. Howard Hall, underscoring the need for the drainage corrections. Members also discussed fencing aesthetics and using landscaping rather than chain‑link at school frontages.
Separately, the board authorized the district to proceed to the design and construction administration phase for the West Chatham Schools project. Staff said a site cost limitation (SCL) of $186,951,000 has been established and that the design/administration fee for phase 2 will be $8,880,173 plus a $100,000 reimbursable allowance. The authorization was approved.
Several board members asked for clearer, earlier communication about design milestones and more opportunities for board input during programming and schematic design. "I feel like we haven't seen a single thing...I would just ask...when do we get updated?" said Miss Grabowski, urging staff to embed milestones and sharing earlier schematic designs with the board and community.
Staff replied that programming is ongoing, schematic design is forthcoming and the district will elevate programming discussion in the CIC meeting in August; a program management recommendation is expected in August as well.
