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AKRON - What else needs done to Tippecanoe Valley High School?
After touring the TVHS renovation and expansion project work Monday, the Valley School Board met to discuss the project so far and what additional needs the school has. The project is slated to be completed by December and the hard cost estimate is $11.7 million.
As of Feb. 7, the project has had several change orders, resulting in a savings of $29,599 for Valley. The largest change order came in August when the school board approved an alternative roof for the school, saving Valley $135,000 on the project.
David A. Mankowski, senior project manager with The Skillman Corp., the administration company for the project, said one issue with the project is the athletic flooring in the weight room. Infinity Flooring increased their cost from $20,000 to $28,000 and reduced the school corporation's deduction to $16,000. He said they will look at the flooring cost further and get back to the school board on the matter in a couple of weeks.
At first, Mankowski said, they didn't think the swimming pool was going to be a big issue. But now they have found items, such as drains and pits, that are deteriorating. They need to have contractors look closer at the pool and make suggestions. "Those are costs that we will be identifying," he said, but don't know what they are yet.
With the bids for the project coming in $300,000 less than expected, the savings on the alternative roofing and the money set aside for the project for alternatives and contingencies, Mankowski said, there's approximately $1 million the school board can use for additional needs for the high school.
"Right now, we're saying that unless something drastic happens," said Mankowski, "we don't expect any big changes."
The pool will be an issue and they could wait on a cost estimate for the pool before the school board considers any other projects. When asked for a cost estimate for the pool, an estimate of $32,000 to $75,000 was given.
Since the project began, the school board and superintendent Dan Kramer compiled a list of additional high school needs. The board looked at those next.
Mankowski said there were two issues to the bleachers in the gym. The school corporation could fix the ones they have now at a cost of approximately $15,000 plus annual maintenance fee of $2,500 to $5,000 a year for five years. Or, the school could get all new bleachers for the gym for a cost of up to $200,000. The biggest issue for bleachers, Mankowski told the board, is fire safety and how fast a person on the top row can get down.
Hal Hoffman, board member, said he thinks they're not too sure on the flooring, so he would "like to push the bleachers to the end of the gym floor."
The school board agreed the current bleachers should be fixed and then pay for a yearly maintenance fee for them.
In the gymnasium, the sound system and replacement of the ceiling also were taken into consideration. Dave O'Brien, school board member, said the sound system needs more volume. When board president Mark Wise asked about costs, Mankowski said the school corporation probably could spend about $50,000 and get a great new system.
The roof drains on the gym will be replaced anyway in the summer, Mankowski said, so that would be a good time to fix the ceiling and put in a new sound system.
Wise suggested a wireless sound system. Board member Bryan Murphy agreed, saying, "I think wireless would be the way to go also."
All the board members agreed the first additional project that needed to be looked at is a new waste treatment plant. Hoffman said it would have to be a summer project and Greg Wehling, of Moake Park architectural firm, said any decision on the waste treatment plant would have to be made pretty quick. Mankowski said since they would have to get permits from the state, it also may be a project the school board could look at for next summer. Hoffman said the money could carry over to next year.
Wise said for a while, the school board has talked about moving the concession stand. The board discussed whether or not to change the location of the tennis courts, too, and if the football field needs new lights.
"I don't think we need anything done to the press box," Murphy said.
Hoffman said the priorities for him were the waste treatment plant, the ceiling and the pool.
"We'll be looking at a number of issues with the swimming pool," said Mankowski.
"Before we go with the rest of these," said O'Brien, "we need to find out what the waste treatment plant is going to cost us."
Some of the additional needs, Wise said, could be put off for a year.
For some of the additional items, Wehling said, they would have an idea on costs by the board's March 14 meeting.
"We're on schedule," Mankowski said of the project. They're going to be working on it until December and they have a whole lot of work to do until then.
Members of the school board are Mark Wise, Hal Hoffman, Rod Eaton, Bryan Murphy and David O'Brien. Upcoming meetings include: 7:30 p.m., March 14, Mentone elementary; and 7:30 p.m., April 18, middle school.
