Board approves change order as parents warn RISE, GWC risk losing August occupancy

The Fayette County Board of Education approved a consent agenda item on March 9 that includes a change order for construction work at the RISE building, after district staff told the board a requested state waiver to omit urinals was denied.

Construction staff told the board the waiver they sought from state building-code officials was not granted and that, working with the design and construction team, they had reduced projected costs from a worst-case estimate. Staff said they planned to meet with the contractor immediately if the board approved the change order and expected the girls’ side of the building to be complete and usable on the first day of school; they warned, however, that some site work and other items could push the overall substantial-completion date to Sept. 12 if problems arise.

"We did apply for the waiver. It was not successful, but we were able to get a workable plan to get the urinals installed and we plan to have everything done by the 1st day of school," a district staff member said during board discussion. When pressed about contingency planning, the staff member said the district could revert fixtures to standard toilets if the building later returned to single-sex use.

Public commenters said the district’s timeline and the failed waiver create unacceptable risk. Sarah Flood, speaking during the public-comment period, said she had written confirmation from a state official that the waiver was denied, and that "the 90-day delay ... pushes the building access and occupancy to September 12," adding, "This Rise in GWC will not have a home come August on the 1st day of school, and this is unacceptable." Flood proposed Mary E. Britton Middle School — which she said was under capacity — as an alternative site to avoid midyear moves.

RISE parent Amy Gibson also urged the board to require written assurances and clear contingency plans, saying that prior experience with construction made her skeptical that students could occupy the building a month before a substantial-completion date. "If you are wrong here, this has the potential to cause a major last-minute catastrophe if the building is not certified," she said, asking where displaced students would go.

Board members and staff exchanged questions about the scope of the change order, whether the urinal installation covered only a single wing and whether future reversion to all-toilet fixtures would be needed if the building’s gender configuration changed. The board then voted to approve the consent agenda — which included the change order, extended field trips and professional leaves — with the motion recorded as carrying 5-0 in the planning session.

The board’s Wednesday action meeting later in the month will include the full contract documents and change-order paperwork; the superintendent’s office also said it would meet with contractors after board approval to review schedule contingencies and occupancy plans.

What’s next: The board approved the consent items for the March action agenda; the district will meet with the contractor to confirm scheduling and will provide additional information to board members and families before the March action meeting.