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Districts make sure construction doesn’t ‘delay instruction’

Bethany Fuller | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Students and teachers at some area schools have become used to working in a construction zone.

As the population swells from the south, Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mooresville Graded School District and county government officials have placed a high importance on building new schools or renovating existing ones.

Statesville High School Principal Larry Rogers said the students have been really good about the constant change over the past couple of years.

“It’s been a good project with minimal interruptions,” he said. “Construction cannot delay instruction.”

A school facilities task force established the need for new and renovated schools years before the current projects were presented to the Iredell County Board of Commissioners for financing.

The county recently borrowed more than $106 million for school construction projects in both school districts.

The money will definitely be used it’s a matter of how quickly. Sometimes as the districts are in the process of building a school, population increases push capacity beyond what that school can handle, prompting the need for another new school.

Building a new school is a long and very complicated process with many individuals and teams playing major roles in different areas, said Steve Taynton, chief of school planning for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Location
Coldwell Banker United Realtors Edwin Hunter said finding land for schools can be difficult, especially in suburban South Iredell.

Hunter said I-SS usually gives him a geographical area to work in, and he tries to negotiate the best deal.

But finding the right piece of land can take time, depending on the land?s location and price tag, he said.

“You need a large tract of land in an area of high growth and development,” MGSD Superintendent Mark Edwards explained.

Hunter said depending on the type of school, he could be looking for anything between 25 to 80 acres of land.

“We have to err on the side of getting larger,” he said. “Children’s safety is a primary concern.”

Rob Jackson, I-SS school construction director, said the school district evaluates a piece of property like any other developer, including taking a look at water and sewer availability and the property’s environmental assessment.

Traffic is an issue you have to look at, he added.

Infrastructure needs
While the site selection is under way, school officials coordinate with teachers and principals to decide what kind of space and equipment is needed within the school.

Teachers and principals are involved with the entire process because they know what works, Jackson said, including students? ability to move easily through the school.

“Everyone has a different idea of the flow” Jackson said. “You have to keep in mind how long it takes a student to get from point A to point B.”

East Iredell Elementary School Principal Jacquelyn Touchton said the school’s Construction Improvement Team held regular meetings with Jackson and the architects for more than a year to discuss the school’s renovation.

The team narrowed it down to their top choices for the design, which included natural light, more computers outlets and more bathrooms.

“The team continued to ask that offices and media center connect to the rest of the building so that all students would be inside of one building together,” Touchton said.

At Statesville High School, teachers made several suggestions, such as the SMART Boards in the new science labs.

Jackson said they take the teachers and NCDPI recommendations and come up with a concept with the architect.

The architect can also help evaluate sites that can be easier to develop, have good soil and slopes and access to needed utilities.

Waiting game
Even with plans in order, state and local regulations can add 18 months to two years on the completion time for a school construction project, school officials say.

“They are slowing us down every step of the way,” I-SS Superintendent Holliday said.

The N.C. Department of Insurance also plays a role in delaying progress.

“Those three people don’t always agree with the interpretation of the code,” Holliday said about the different agencies.

Holliday said sending the plans back and forth between Raleigh and the Iredell County offices increases the architect fees by more than $600,000, or 6 percent of the total project.

Construction documents are prepared and sent to the state for final review before public bids are received for each project.
That process can take nine months to two years or more depending upon complexities, review times, financing and other factors, Taynton said.

Once the contractor obtains the necessary insurance paperwork, a contract between the school district and the contractor is signed and construction can begin.

Under Construction
An OK for construction isn’t always a green light to completion. Several factors can hinder progress once the building starts.

Unforseen conditions, minor changes required by the owner or others are incorporated into the work, Taynton said.

Bad weather can have a significant impact on progress. The work must be very carefully coordinated because certain construction operations can only be begun when another portion is complete.

During the construction phase, the school district begins ordering furniture, equipment and initial supplies. A principal is selected, and he/she begins hiring teachers and staff.

Taynton said before a school receives its certificate of occupancy, it must correct the items on its punch list, which details items the school has to have done such as ascertaining the plumbing works and everything is hooked up correctly.

Jackson said a lot goes into furnishing the building, including purchasing library equipment.

Each classroom has a spreadsheet detailing equipment goes in there.

Jackson said the school district purchases the standard items, such as desks, shelves and chairs. Textbooks come from the state.

Once these items are in place, a school building undergoes its final inspection and the school’s staff is instructed in how to operate the building’s systems and equipment.

Then school’s in session.

The Future
The good news on the horizon, school officials said, is that school construction and land purchases will ease up in the next couple of years.

Holliday said I-SS has enough land to get it through 2013, and by the time the district gets around to building a new high school, it will probably cost $60 million, which is a frugal estimate in his books.

Edwards said Mooresville recently completed a 10-year growth analysis to determine projected growth for the district and individual schools.

During the process, the school district looked at growth indicators, such as growth on the Lowe’s Co. Inc.’s corporate campus and estimated growth rate would be around 5 percent.
“We felt like 5 percent was a good point to use as a reference point,” he said. “We are in what we feel is pretty good shape.”

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