WB Area approves big high school change order

WILKES-BARRE — The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board on Monday approved two change orders related to the new Plains Township high school totaling $526,511, but Superintendent Brian Costello stressed the cost was figured into the anticipated total overall and that, despite the steep price tag, was actually under budget.

One change order totalling $62,627 is with Green Valley Landscaping for additional seeding, fertilizing and landscaping at site sign areas and a revised planting list. The other is for $463,884 to Stell Enterprises, Inc. for work on the Cross Valley Expressway off-ramp revisions required by the state Department of Transportation to handle increased flow of traffic anticipated once the new school opens in Plains Township this fall.

Costello said the district had set aside money in the budget for the ramp work and the additional landscaping and seeding, and that the total cost of the change orders is actually about $300,000 less than expected.

All told, with the additional change orders approved Monday the district has only spent about 52% of the total project contingency fee, leaving about $3 million unspent. Michael Krzywicki from district project manager Apollo Group Inc. said the project is 83.6% done and “substantial completion” should be this summer in time for movable furniture — as opposed to built-in fixtures — to be brought in during the first two week of July so teachers can start setting up for classes to begin this fall.

Asked about more than $1 million authorized by the School Board at the start of the project to expedite construction, Krzywicki and Costello said that, had the district not made that move, the building probably would not have been occupied before January.

While materials for the high school — which will consolidate grade 9-12 from the three existing high schools — had been secured in time to avoid any real impact in soaring construction costs, Solicitor Ray Wendolowski did note that the project, along with a new roof project at Kistler elementary, includes a contract clause requiring the use of domestic steel. He said that isn’t impacting the high school, but could cause lengthy delays at Kistler, where a piece of non-structural steel is needed as part of the roofing work.

Wendolowski asked the board to approve a motion allowing the district to use imported steel if no domestic steel is available and if the product meets specification for the Kistler roof. The board approved the motion, though it will also have to approve any actual purchase in the future.

For the first time since beginning remote meetings, the board did two things different: Nearly every member was present in person for the meeting, distanced by more than 6 feet each, and the public could comment live by calling in.

Three people, all teachers, called in, strongly questioning the board’s decision last month to lay off up to 40 teachers due to the consolidation. The teachers criticized the criteria for deciding who got laid off, which under a new state law allows districts to lay off teachers who do poorly on teacher evaluations.

One caller noted the evaluations do not take into account teacher-student interactions on a daily basis or the various efforts teachers make outside of the class to help students. Another noted teachers must spend thousands of dollars to get re-certified in high-demand fields if they hope to get rehired once openings develop in the district. Costello has promised a concerted effort to bring back as many furloughed teachers as possible as slots become open due to retirements or departures.