Alpha Associates architect Matt Breakey presented a budget analysis and bid estimation for the Hillsboro Elementary School cafeteria project to the board of education Monday night.

The board received a grant from the West Virginia School Building Authority for the project as well and, with additional funding, the total project budget is $1,429,061.

“We take that overall project budget and remove all the soft costs,” Breakey said. “These are costs that you wouldn’t receive through the contract. We strip all that out to determine what the construction budget needs to be. Then, once we get the construction budget, we’ve got to take out a construction contingency. Typically, we have five percent for renovation type construction that you’ve got to back out of the budget.”

Once the costs were removed, Breakey said the construction budget, minus a five percent construction contingency, is estimated at $1,175,234.55.

“This is the number you want to see on the day you receive bids from general contractors to hit your overall budget,” Breakey said.

With the estimated construction budget, the next step is to make a detailed cost takeoff.

“The way we do it in our office, we don’t do square foot takeoffs, we do it like a contractor would do,” Breakey said. “We do line item takeoffs based on division of work. We’ll get down to the nitty-gritty of, you have this many fire extinguishers, you have this many linear feet of flooring, this many electrical outlets. So we get down to the detail of that.”

With the detailed cost takeoff and additional contingencies, the budget has grown due to inflation.

“$1,246,100 – that is the estimate, today, with the information we know and the contingencies we’ve shown. That is the number that you will see on bid day,” Breakey said. “So you compare that with what your budget is, and there is a $70,000 difference between the two.”

This estimate does not include the addition of a small bathroom to the facility – an addition the board had requested at a previous meeting. Breakey said with the bathroom, the estimate could raise between $22,000 and $36,000.

The board shared concern over the budget difference and asked Super- intendent C.C. Lester to contact the SBA for additional funds.

Associate Superintendent for Operations and Treasurer Alice Irvine added that there is a possibility of finding the additional funds in the budget.

The board agreed the project would have to move forward without the additional bathroom construction.

The board unanimously approved the Needs Project budget provided by Alpha Associates, Inc.

In updates:

• Lester reported that he is very proud of the staff and students for their continued efforts to raise test scores. He shared statistics that prove the students are improving and moving up in the ranks in West Virginia.

In 2008-2009, the county was 33rd; 2009-2010 it was 35th; 2010-2011, 255th and this year, it has moved to 17th out of 55 counties.

“I think that’s quite an accomplishment for our faculty and our students,” he said.
In financial management, the board approved the following:

• Purchase of a Tradesmen Package for the maintenance truck from System One Modular Truck Equipment at a cost not to exceed $3,500.

• Payment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $29,847.60.

In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:

• Collaborative Preschool Memorandum of Understanding between the Pocahontas County Board of Education and the North Central West Virginia Community Action Association, Inc. – Head Start Program.

In personnel management, the board approved the following:

• Employment of Dervin E. Lambert as teacher of welding at Pocahontas County High School, effective January 15, 2013 for the remainder of the 2012-2013 school year, term of employment is 100 days, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity.

• Employment of Cindy L. White as substitute teacher for Pocahontas County Schools, effective November 28 for the remainder of the 2012-2013 school year, as needed.

• Employment of Corey Friel and Sherry Ratliff as substitute custodians and substitute cooks for Pocahontas County Schools, effective November 28 for the remainder of the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

The board will meet Monday, December 3, at 7 p.m., at Marlinton Middle School for the Faculty Senate/LSIC meeting.

Suzanne Stewart may be contacted at sastewart@pocahontastimes.com