August 2003

Ran: Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News - Thursday, August 21, 2003

Countdown to the classroom

By: Debbie Ramsey

Community members, parents and students have watched in shock and wonder as three local elementary school campuses have been massively disassembled over 70 days of the summer vacation for a total of $19.5 million in badly needed renovations - the first expenditure from the November 2002 $32 million bond measure.

The question in the minds of many remains "Will they finish in time for school to start?" With FIESD classes scheduled to resume on Wednesday, August 27, Business Manager Ray Proctor remains confident that the contractor, Douglas E. Barnhart Inc. will indeed meet the deadline.

"Everything is going to be ready for school on Wednesday," Proctor stated. "I am confident that Barnhart will have them done, even if it means working until midnight the night before. They have done a great job and I am very pleased with their team." The team numbers over 300 construction workers on the job each day between the three sites. Proctor is also pleased that the three projects (Fallbrook Street, Potter Junior High and Mary Fay Pendleton) have come in over $380,000 under the combined updated (6-1-03) budget.

"We are bringing in extra custodians to the sites on Monday and Tuesday to help get things cleaned up and help the teachers move into their classrooms," Proctor said. "I expect to have nice, clean classrooms. They might not have everything up on the walls, but they will have a great learning environment."

While the schools are expected to be functional, don't expect to see lavish landscape in place where extensive ground excavation has occurred. With only $100,000 allocated in the budget collectively for the replanting of landscape at all three schools, Proctor says the decision will be up to the Board of Trustees to determine how much landscape will be replaced and how soon.

"There is no way we could have the construction and full landscaping done in 70 days," Proctor explained. "With the $100,000 we will start to hook up sprinklers and see how far we can go. After that we will have to use our District funds and staff to phase in landscape and planter beds during the rest of the school year."

One of the most visible construction sites this summer has been Potter Junior High School, originally built in 1964. On the heavily traveled Reche Road, the renovation project budgeted at $6.2 million has been observed by many motorists. Summer improvements include expanding restrooms, replacing plumbing and sewer systems, upgrading electrical systems, and making numerous other health and safety improvements. In addition, they have constructed and upgraded heating and air conditioning systems, modernized classrooms and constructed student support facilities, constructed and renovated science classrooms, and constructed new classrooms and locker rooms. The school site has also been wired for computer access. To date, this project site is over budget by $1.6 million due to additional asbestos abatement that was needed, termite damage and wood replacement, DSA rules on concrete for ADA requirements and underground granite demolition and removal. Potter's auditorium needed more attention than first tests showed due to dry rot damage.

At Fallbrook Street School, a budget of $7.2 million allowed for more of the same type of improvements for the campus built in 1953. Restrooms were expanded and plumbing and sewer systems were replaced. Electrical systems were upgraded and classrooms were modernized. It was necessary to construct and upgrade heating and air conditioning systems and improve the play court and parking surfaces. This school was also wired for computer access. To date, cost has been $5.2 million - making this project under budget by $2 million. The only unexpected item that cropped up on this campus was the need to remove a bee's nest.

May Fay Pendleton School was set to receive $6.3 million in improvements for the campus built in 1954 and has come in fairly close at $30,000 under budget. Health and safety improvements paralleled the other schools with expansion of restrooms and the replacement of plumbing, sewer, electrical, air conditioning, and heating systems. The parking area and traffic circulation was addressed as well. Bees posed a larger problem at Mary Fay Pendleton, however. The bees were discovered inside the siding of one of the buildings, requiring the siding to be removed, the bees relocated, and honey removed.

Proctor admits the projects this summer have been massive and credits the advance testing done at the sites for keeping the work within budget.

"The norm for a project like this would be to allow for 10 - 15% in change orders," Proctor said. "Because of the advance testing, we allowed for 5% for the unforeseen. We think that is what really saved us. It helped us learn more, in depth, about the condition of our campuses."

While Proctor sees the light at the end of this particular tunnel, he is already lining up another - next summer's renovation projects.

"Next summer we will go through the same renovation process with Maie Ellis (built in 1938), La Paloma (built in 1968) and San Onofre (built in 1974)," he said. "The architects are working right now on those plans."

"This is the largest-scale renovation these campuses have ever seen," Proctor said. "There's been nothing like this to date. It has made me in awe of how they can rip things up and put them back together so quickly."

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