At a previous meeting, the Board requested dollar amounts to attach to needed building renovations and repairs listed on each elementary school closing scenario. Director of Business Services Steve Shergalis presented the budget projections for each elementary building based upon what is known about each building’s need at this time. Mr. Shergalis spent several months at the beginning of the school year compiling a list of needed renovations and upgrades for each building which was presented to the Board at a Work Session on February 27.

Mr. Shergalis noted that actual budget construction estimates and final costs will vary upon many factors. These include: information obtained from detailed investigations, engineering and/or architectural designs, scope of work, quality of materials and equipment selected, inflation and other market conditions prevailing at that time.

Much discussion was spent around clarifying an issue on Coventry Elementary’s need list. Coventry Elementary has experienced floor slab settlement in a suite of classrooms known as Pod “A,” located in the Southwest corner of the school. Mr. Shergalis noted this is not an imminent problem, but it is important the issue is fully understood. Existing documents indicate a large 8’ x 10’ storm drainage culvert is shown passing within thirteen feet of the new school. It is located approximately thirty feet underground. Reports indicate that Pod “A” may have been actually constructed over a portion of this culvert.

A recent visual inspection of all areas in Pod “A” revealed evidence of existing floor slab settlement between one-quarter inch, and 2 ¼” in various location. Monitoring by the District’s Trades Department indicate that annual movement since 1992 has been about one-quarter inch, but primarily occurring in more recent years.

Anecdotal reports indicate that the floor of the toilet rooms had settlement of up to nine inches by 1980. According to records, the floor was replaced in 1980, and then again in 1992 after additional settlement had occurred. Current settlement in the toilet rooms is about three-quarters of an inch.

There is no imminent hazard or concern associated with the settlement of the Pod “A,” but Mr. Shergalis noted that there is a definite need to address the issue, and learn more about what needs to be done to fix it. The estimate provided by Mr. Shergalis of $2 million is an outside projection that includes removal of the entire Pod “A” floor slab, all inadequate soils to the depth of the culvert, and culvert repairs in addition to the installation of new engineered fill, concrete floor slab and interior finish repairs. Access for earth moving equipment may require partial removal of wall sections and the roof. For the sake of budget projections, the estimate is an assumption providing that the culvert itself is located under the building, that it is damaged or causing erosion, and/or soil fill from its original installation, in combination with soil fill from the 1973 building construction, is inadequate to support the floor slab and its loading.

Mr. Shergalis noted that further investigations by a professional engineer, including subsurface investigations, are warranted in order to determine if void areas are in the soil beneath the Pod. The Board requested a more in-depth look to determine the exact location of the culvert and sanitary line in relation to the building.

Building Conditions: (PDF Files - 5/18/06) Project Budget Projections
Repair Estimates