Dear FHSD students, staff, families and taxpayers:
The Francis Howell Board of Education requests your continued input as we consider how to move forward with the Francis Howell North construction project.
As shared in previous Board Updates, revised cost projections for the final bid package came in substantially higher than expected and the Board must now determine whether or not to accept the new Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of $164,723,000. The Board will take action on this item at the next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Dec. 16.
We want your input!
The Board invites all patrons to take a short survey regarding how the Board should move forward with the Francis Howell North construction project. The survey will be open through Dec. 13 and asks patrons to select the most desirable option:
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ACCEPT THE NEW PRICE AND FORGE AHEAD – Continue construction on Francis Howell North at SM Wilson’s Guaranteed Maximum Price of $164.7M. Once approved, the project will be protected from future price escalation. Moving ahead with the construction of North at the increased cost means we will have to re-prioritize other Prop S projects and as a result, some work that was originally planned will not be completed. A future bond issue may be required to accomplish the full scope of work projected as part of Prop S.
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PAUSE CONSTRUCTION AND REBID – Pause construction on Francis Howell North and rebid the same project either immediately or down the road to see if better pricing can be obtained from new vendors and/or if material and labor prices have come down. Market conditions may be more or less favorable at the time of rebid; there is no guarantee that the District will receive better pricing in the future. In addition, delaying construction for any considerable length of time may require that funds be spent on the current Francis Howell North building to make critical repairs. Delaying also means students and staff will be dealing with an active construction site for a longer period of time, including the displacement of athletic fields and facilities.
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OTHER – Please describe (open response box)
