Due to high material and labor costs, the Jefferson High School construction project is being reevaluated. This includes some reductions to the original plan, according to a community update from SMA Architecture and Design.
“Since the development of the bond scope in the summer of 2021, the construction industry has experienced unprecedented escalation in material and labor costs,” the release said. “During the design process, those industry-wide cost increases have had an impact on the project cost. In particular, increases in raw material and equipment costs have had significant impacts on the project’s structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems. These systems account for nearly half of the overall project budget.”
This has posed a challenge for the JHS board of trustees and the facilities committee, who have been evaluating the project scope in order to identify cost savings measures to resolve the project budget. According to the release, it is the goal of those involved in the project to “seek to identify cost reductions that provide the greatest value to the project while having the least impact on the project scope,” commonly referred to as value engineering.
According to the update, project priorities have been thoroughly evaluated by SMA, Dick Anderson Construction, the JHS board and the facilities committee. These priorities include modular classroom removal and construction of permanent classrooms, safety and security upgrades school-wide, ADA accessibility, plumbing and electrical system upgrades, special education, drama improvements, track, field and grounds improvements, and structural upgrades.
Items that will be kept in the budget, according to the update, are as follows: “the building addition, which includes a Life Skills suite, art classroom, music classroom and practice rooms, five general classrooms, and two science classroom/lab spaces as well as building support spaces; safety and security measures, including a new secure entry vestibule and reception area along with updated clock, bell and paging systems; ADA upgrades to existing public restrooms and access to the old music room/new drama classroom; the CTE addition and associated equipment upgrades; repurposed spaces within the existing building for the following uses: drama classroom, student commons, specialist offices and counseling.”
Reductions will be made to the existing building renovation scope, upgrades to the existing mechanical, electrical and fire protection systems, the scope of structural steel in the existing school renovation, replacement of existing fixtures and finishes, and the scope of site improvements, including eliminating the all-weather track.
According to Tim Tholt, Dick Anderson Construction senior project manager, getting to this point took a lot of collaboration.
“It was a team effort for all the design changes and reevaluation between SMA and their design partners, Dick Anderson Construction and the JHS facilities committee,” Tholt said.
Despite the reductions, the project remains on schedule. Construction is expected to start in late winter or early spring of 2023. Completion of construction and the facility opening is scheduled for summer of 2024.
JHS Superintendent Erik Wilkerson said he is pleased with this update.
“The timeline as they have it is consistent with their original timeline and I feel comfortable with how things are proceeding,” Wilkerson told The Monitor in an email.
Wilkerson said he also is encouraged by the teamwork on display.
“I am pleased with how the JHS Board and Facilities Committee are handling this situation,” he said “We are staying informed and working hard to make the best decisions for our students, parents, and taxpayers.”
Wilkerson said he’s also appreciated working with SMA and Dick Anderson Construction.
“Both are still very involved with the project,” Wilkerson said. “SMA will continue until they have final construction documents. Dick Anderson continues to work on keeping track of construction and material costs. They both attend the construction meetings and board meetings to keep us up to date on everything going on with our project. They are also keeping an eye on material costs and construction costs on other projects to give us the most up-to-date information.”
Thanks to the value engineering, Wilkerson said the project cost has reduced by an estimated $3.6 million from the original design development figure. The facilities committee, SMA Architects and Dick Anderson Construction are targeting an additional reduction of $640,000 to get the project back on the targeted budget established in the bond.
As far as next steps are concerned, Dick Anderson Construction and SMA will continue to collaborate with JHS to identify and implement additional value engineering measures to achieve the target budget.
These additional efforts will continue to focus on the priorities previously established to assure that the project achieves the greatest value with the least impact to the instructional space for Jefferson High School students and staff,” the release states. “It should also be noted that as the project moves through the bidding and construction phases, if savings are realized the prioritized value engineering items can be added back to the project. The project remains on schedule for an early 2023 bidding period and start of construction.”
SMA is scheduled to complete the design and documentation by the end of December 2022.
