District Opens Revised Bids for Approved Construction Projects for the Scarsdale Schools

On Tuesday morning October 25 the Scarsdale School Board and administration opened the much-awaited set of revised bids for a series of new construction and renovation projects approved by voters in December 2014 and originally estimated to cost $18.1 mm. When the initial bids were received in the spring of 2016, administrators rejected them as they were as high as 30% above the estimate. This summer Stuart Mattey, Assistant Superintendent for Business Stuart Mattey repackaged and regrouped the work and requested new estimates, which came in high, but closer to the targeted numbers.

The array of information the group reviewed and considered was formidable, so afterwards I asked Assistant Superintendent for Business Stuart Mattey to bring me up to speed on the bids received and the decision-making process underway.
(The following is lightly edited for clarity and length.)

Here are questions and answers from Stuart Mattey:

In the new set of bids received, can you share what the numbers were, and how they compare to the previous bids?

For this bid cycle we broke the projects up into three separate base bids along with nine different bid alternates that could be accepted if funding allows. Bid One included the Edgewood, Heathcote and Scarsdale Middle School projects, Bid Two was Scarsdale High School only and Bid Three was all four buildings. For each project there were four separate prime contracts that bids were accepted for: General, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical. The breakout of the bids also allows for a mix and match of low bidders for bid one and bid two if the District decides to proceed with work at all schools. The timing of this bid was ideal for contractors and their participation was evidence of this as the District received numerous bids for each contract. It is the feeling of the District and its consultants that the bids received will be best that we will see on these projects. Having said that, base bids (without alternates) still came in higher than original construction budgets called for. Bid one (the three schools) came in about 35% higher, Bid two (SHS) about 15% higher and the All Schools options came in at about 14% higher or about $1.75 million. The previous bids that were received in the spring were over $2 MM more than these bids and had very poor participation.

My impression was that the current bids would allow work to begin on the planned timeframe as long as the Scarsdale Foundation is able to step up to cover the Design Lab and Fitness Center. Do I have that right?

The Design Lab and the Fitness Center were bid as alternates and can be completed on the planned timeframe if funding is in place. The other base bid projects are not dependent on these alternates and could proceed with or without Foundation funding in place.

I also understood that there are questions pending about how the money would need to be transferred from the Foundation in order for the District to sign a contract allowing those portions to go forward.

Funds for the construction bids related to the Design Lab and Fitness Center must be in place in order for those alternates to be accepted by the Board.

Can you clarify which portions of the planned work are considered the "alternates"?

The nine alternates are: Edgewood Resource Room, Heathcote Multi-Purpose Room HVAC, Middle School band HVAC, Middle School music room, Middle School orchestra ceiling, High School greenhouse, High School auditorium, High School design lab, and the High School fitness center.

Are they in fact to be included in the work going forward, or possibly done by in-house workers instead?

Any or all alternates could be accepted, however, at the Board meeting I think you heard that the Middle School - Music Room, Design Lab and Fitness Center are the priorities and they all are funded outside of the bond authorization and therefore wouldn't impact the bond budget. Alternates not completed as part of this bond project could be completed in the future as part of regular budget plant improvement projects or included in future bond work.

I believe the target date November 14th was given as the day the Board would formally go ahead and accept bids, and that they would be parceled out to different sources. Is that an accurate recap of the current thinking?

Any decision to move ahead would happen no later than November 14th. If the Board decides to move ahead with work, the number of contracts awarded would depend on which projects receive the go ahead.

Looking Forward:

If the bids are indeed about $2 million higher than the bond approved by voters,
perhaps the board will consider using monies from the general fund to finance the shortfall. At the end of the 2015-16 school year, there was a surplus of funds in the budget so perhaps that can be used to supplement the construction budget.

Many residents, especially those in Greenacres, may be eager to know whether the projects discussed Tuesday morning have any implications for the Greenacres School question. While Greenacres was never at any time considered a part of this work currently being bid, it was nonetheless illuminating to hear both Mr. Mattey and Superintendent Thomas Hagerman express dissatisfaction with various aspects of the relationship with KG&D, the architecture firm primarily concerned with allof the construction projects to date. Both identified concerns about errors, communication issues, and responsiveness. School Board Member Pam Fuehrer noted, "They were so off on their costs." Fellow Board Member Art Rublin suggested, "It would be a good idea to use independent estimators to verify numbers in the future," and Mr. Mattey agreed. Superintendent Hagerman summed up his view, saying "We need someone who understands how all projects fit into our larger plan.... We need to feel we are a priority." Board President Lee Maude brought the discussion back to the responsibility of the Board to the voting community: "We need to make sure we deliver on what voters approved."

So perhaps the future of Greenacres School will be guided by a fresh concept in due course? In any case, it seems that Scarsdale residents can look forward to the approved renovations beginning soon throughout the District.