Agenda - 02-05-1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 Part I - New Hope Elementary School This section of the response will deal with the historical development of a new elementary school now designated as New Hope Elementary School. The earliest work on this project began in the spring of 1986 with the search for a suitable site, which included a review of the concept with county administrative staff. Subsequently, $400,000 was appropriated in 87-88 for initial land and design costs. A memorandum dated January 29, 1987, was forwarded to the Board of Commissioners which cited a K-6 elementary school to house 700 students at an estimated cost of $5,716,000 inclusive of all costs. In November of 1987 Interim County Manager Albert Kittrell and the staff reported a CIP to the Board of Commissioners with this project cited at a cost of $5,991 ,000 (inclusive of site costs at an amended amount) . In May of 1988 I reported to Mr. Link priority rankings for a 5-year Capital Plan (dated May 10, 1988) . This memorandum cited an estimated cost of $5,991 ,000 inclusive of site costs. The basis of the initial projection of $5,716,000 in 1987 and the revised amount of $5,991 ,000 was a document from the Division of School Planning, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, entitled "Guidelines for Estimating School Construction Costs - October 1986" (Attachment # 1) . Using this document we estimated the cost for a 700 student elementary school at $6,000 per pupil x 700 pupils, which resulted in the $4,200,000 basic construction cost cited in the earlier documentation (see Attachment #2 dated 1/29/87) . Using this process, we continued to estimate costs and did minor adjust- ments in 1988 after we had the exact cost of the land. As the County Commissioners, staff and others were considering a method for funding this need and other needs, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction staff were considering a major revision of the school building standards. Also, in the spring of 1988 the Orange County Board of Education employed Doggett Architects, Inc. , to design this project. In February, 1988, a committee of staff, Board and parents submitted the educational specifications for this project to the Board of Education. Ultimately, the Board of Commissioners proposed a bond package of which $6,000,000 was identified for this K-6 (700 students) elementary school. The voters approved this bond and $5,991 ,000 of bond funds was designated for this project. Ultimately, the North Carolina State Board of Education adopted the new building standards. In the fall of 1988 the North Carolina School Boards Association and the North Carolina Association of County Commissionrs issued a report entitled North Carolina: First in Minimum Standards. I have included page 20 of this report (Attachment #3) which states that these standards increased the typical elementary construction costs by 41 .4%. A table showing specific increases for this computation is included as well (Attachment #4) for a 510 student elementary K-6 school at $72 per square foot. During the summer and fall of 1988 the architectural staff, Board of Education and school system staff were reviewing the educational specifications in relation to the new standards, and were trying to reduce costs where possible. At one