School construction projects revised

Chopticon High’s sewer system is main adjustment

Friday, May 16, 2008

Although the six year projected budget stayed the same, the school system rearranged and trimmed the costs of some projects and requested an additional $75,000 from the county government for next fiscal year.

‘‘We did not eliminate any projects. We did divert time lines,” said Kim Howe, supervisor of capital planning for the schools.

An upgraded treatment plant mandated by the state for environmental reasons came in last month about $1 million over the initial budget for a total of $2.6 million.

‘‘We had to make an adjustment for the Chopticon waste water treatment plant, that’s the main adjustment,” said Brad Clements, chief operating officer, at a board of education meeting Wednesday.

Another alternative would have been cheaper and friendlier to the environment, school officials said, but was not an option because of current county regulations. Extending a dedicated sewer line about 3.5 miles from Benjamin Banneker Elementary School to tie into Chopticon could have been done within the original $1.6 million budgeted for the treatment system.

‘‘I still wish we didn’t have to do the wastewater treatment plant, pure and simple. But that is out of our hands,” school board Vice President Cathy Allen said.

The school board awarded the construction contract to J.L.W. Associates based on its bid of $2.1 million. The contract is contingent on the approval of the realignment of the capital improvements plan by the commissioners.

In addition, the school system is working with the Maryland Department of the Environment on penalties for not coming into compliance with the treatment plant for more than a year after a deadline. There will be a fine for the last year as well as a monthly penalty levied from now until construction of a new system is completed.

Howe said those fines should be about $10,000, an amount included in the proposed $2.6 million total budget for the project.

‘‘They’ll be pleased that we looked within our own budget to work it out,” school board member Mary Washington said of the county commissioners.

‘‘Finding a million dollars was not an easy task,” Howe said. No projects were jeopardized or hurt, only moved in the timeline, she said.

The school system did receive its full request of $7.3 million from the state for four projects next fiscal year: final dollars for Evergreen elementary, approval to plan for a Leonardtown middle renovation and HVAC renovations for Benjamin Banneker and Oakville elementary schools.

The capital improvements program also now includes $12.6 million from the county for its share of the projects listed above in addition to playground equipment, a new gym floor at Chopticon, renovations to Spring Ridge Middle School science, technology, engineering and mathematics academy classroom, planning money for a new elementary school, flooring at various schools and security entrances along with several other projects.

The school system was awarded planning approval for the Leonardtown Middle School limited renovation, which could cost more than $5 million when completed in 2011.

‘‘That’s such a phenomenal development,” Howe said. She said the work would help not just the building but also improve education within the school.

Maryland legislators last year approved the limited renovation category for schools in hopes for quicker, more widespread improvements to aging schools.

Projects must meet certain specifications and involve specific items to qualify for the state’s new limited renovation category. It must include five major building systems, such as heating and air conditioning, roof, ceiling, lighting, security, flooring, plumbing, windows or other structural improvement.

Also, the project must result in major changes in support of education. This could include modernization of science labs, media centers, fine arts centers, new technology or painting. Planning for Leonardtown Middle School limited renovation will start later this year.

The catch to the new type of project is the state will not consider funding any additional work to the school for 16 years.

The revised capital improvements plan will go to the county commissioners for approval.