With any large construction project, comes the potential for delays and tough discoveries.
Trigg County’s Board of Education received such news Thursday night, when Director of Operations Matt Ladd had to unfortunately relay that in the process of preparing the vocational building for its grant-paid renovation, contractors from A&K Construction have uncovered a bit of a snag.
Sherman Carter Barnhart Architect Andrew Owens said this issue created two very specific problems.
First and foremost, a lot more major storm water is anticipated to come off of the new building.
And due to general conditions and the serious potential for extra site work, officials with A&K are requesting project leeway of 10 additional weeks, or 50 construction days — putting a completion date at mid-October 2023.
Owens noted that the renovation, and student/teacher return, earlier — but it couldn’t be guaranteed.
That 10 additional weeks comes at a heavy cost, too: $103,000 — and all of it coming from the district’s contingency fund for the project. Finance Officer Holly Greene said if approved, that fund would dip to just under $332,000, and that another substantial change order could be on the way.
Board members Charlene Sheehan, Theresa Allen and JoAlyce Harper asked if there were any other options other than to absorb the cost and move forward, to which both Ladd and Owens simply noted: “not really.”
Time, of course, is of essence. In the now, vocational students and faculty, as well as Trigg Tots, are looking at an 18-month removal from the property — while it gets a state-of-the-art makeover courtesy of a $10 million gift from state appropriations and the Kentucky General Assembly.
Frustrating as it may be, Owens said it was to be expected due to the age of the building.
The board opted to move forward on this timetable 3-0, with Gayle Rufli and Clara Beth Hyde not in attendance.
Superintendent Bill Thorpe and Director of Personnel and Student Services James Mangels discussed what’s becoming a state-wide problem this academic year, and that’s school attendance. Mangels noted that Trigg County’s attendance rate, at the moment, is 91.2%, and Thorpe said that if that trend continues, it will result in the district losing nearly $500,000 in annual SEEK funding.
Why has average attendance dipped? Sickness and health is but one concern, but Thorpe noted that he and others in the district are planning to partner up with willing teachers over the next few weeks and months, with visions of visiting parents and students during out-of-school time to extend warmth and well-wishes to show care.
With the Trigg County nickel tax forum coming today, the board received positive fiscal year 2022 news, when Lindsey Nee of Diuguid, Gentry & Associates delivered an audit of the school’s finances with “no significant difficulties.” Nee said there was no non-compliance, no material weaknesses or deficiencies, and that Trigg Schools in general were of “low risk.”
Furthermore, the district’s net position includes more than $55 million in total assets with 39% of that in cash equivalence, and just over $30 million in total liabilities with 55% in bonds payable.
