GILROY
– Changes to Ascencion Solorsano Middle School construction
plans are costing roughly $1.6 million, after school board trustees
approved another $437,000 in cost overruns last week.
GILROY – Changes to Ascencion Solorsano Middle School construction plans are costing roughly $1.6 million, after school board trustees approved another $437,000 in cost overruns last week.
The $1.6 million figure is $200,000 shy of the overrun limit Gilroy Unified School District and the City of Gilroy imposed on the project. But school district officials say the project will likely come in under budget when it gets completed this summer.
Construction and the installation of furniture and equipment is about 85 percent done, but other change orders are expected.
“We’re absolutely OK,” said Charlie Van Meter, the district’s facilities director. “(The overrun limit) is an arbitrary number we put in there, and we only have a couple minor changes that still need to be covered.”
Building the GUSD’s newest campus is an $18 million exercise. Another $8 million was needed to purchase the Santa Teresa Boulevard property where the campus will sit.
Five percent of the construction project was dedicated to contingency funds – a pot of money used to cover unforeseen changes and expenses. Another 5 percent of the project covers unexpected costs related to furniture and equipment.
Because the City of Gilroy is partnering with the school district – paying for construction of the multipurpose gym on the campus – some of the change order costs are being split between the two agencies. On the latest round of change orders, the city picked up $146,000 of the tab.
The most recent round of overruns covered a variety of construction and design changes. A change in the size of the gymnasium roof was the most expensive overrun at nearly $98,000. Another $72,800 is being used to purchase an electronic marquee that will digitally display school events.
Ironically, some of the overruns are the result of cost-cutting measures, Van Meter said. The district’s architect is using plans the company designed for campuses at other school districts. When those designs don’t fit into GUSD plans, they get changed, adding to the overall cost of the project.
Van Meter said that using the recycled plans still saves the district over the long haul.
“When you reuse plans, you’re cutting down on the time it takes to do the overall design. And when you’re dealing with architect contracts, time is money,” Van Meter said.
