File photo.
The extensive facelift and overhaul of Knapp Elementary School is nearing completion, with flooring work and landscaping set to be done over the summer and change orders of the project thus far remain under three percent of the total project cost, as reported to the North Penn School District Facilities and Operations Committee Tuesday night.
“If you look at the total change orders, you will see that the total amount of change orders is $212,283.94, which equates to 0.95 percent of the total contract amount,” said district Facilities and Operations Director Tom Schneider. “We have utilized $397,063.39 of allowances, and a lot were used to offset change orders. At this point, we have a remaining allowance of $548,210. If the project were completed today and no future conditions require a change order, we would receive a deduct change order of $548,210.”
Schneider said the change orders to date over the total contract amount equate to 2.72 percent.
“When you figure in all change orders and allowances utilized, that’s where we are at,” he said. “We do utilize some of the allowances to offset change orders, especially at the end of a project.”
North Penn School Board Director Cathy Wesley, who chairs the committee, said the project is getting cleaned up and “things hanging out get bundled together in a responsible way so there is an audit trail to this.”
Schneider said the project is “in relatively good shape.”
In April 2020, the district awarded five contracts totaling $22 million for the renovation project, according to The Reporter, including $13 million to general contractor Lobar Construction Inc. HVAC improvements are a major part of the project.
Read more details on the Knapp renovation project here.
“We initially had a contingency of $1.3 million, of which $1.1 million is still remaining in contingency,” Schneider said. “When renovation projects are considered during design, there is a 5 percent contingency put on the project in case of any change orders. Typically, North Penn has been in that range of around 3 percent for change orders. We are right on the money.”
Bill Slawter, construction manager for ICS Consulting Inc., said change order rates can be as much as five to seven percent, depending on the situation.
“For a multi-phase renovation project, to be down around three percent is going well,” Slawter said. “This is one of the more difficult projects I have been through, and I am pleased where we are at.”
School Board Director Juliane Ramic lauded the district and project manager for being fiscally conservative.
“Coupled with the pandemic and supply chain issues managed, that is incredibly impressive,” she said.
Board President Tina Stoll thanked Wesley for her dedication to inspecting the finances of the project.
“She goes over it with a fine-tooth comb,” Stoll said.
Watch the Facilities and Operations Committee meeting in its entirety here.
See also:
Two PECO Issues Add $25K To Cost Of Knapp Elementary Project
North Penn Considering Grade Reconfiguration for School District
North Penn Facilities Proposals Could Place School District in $515 Million Debt
North Penn Discusses District-Wide School Safety Following Texas Elementary School Shooting
North Penn Recommends – But Doesn’t Require - Masking During Montco High COVID Transmission Rate
