Editorial: The cost of consideration for school construction
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Everyone knows inflation has been difficult for the past couple of years.
Gas was up. Eggs were up. It’s probably easier to list what didn’t go up dramatically since 2019. That’s definitely a shorter list.
The rising prices have made plenty of people think twice about purchases. So what if your purchase is in the millions of dollars?
Hempfield Area School District is seeing the price of a project that has been on the table for years ballooning.
The district has been considering the “revitalization” of its high school for a long time. That word itself speaks to the breadth of the plans, which go beyond a somewhat simple renovation. CORE Architects’ Pete Szymanski called it a “full reprogramming of the space,” including the gym and field house, hallways, administration and more.
The first estimates for the overhaul were obtained in 2021. In January 2022, those numbers came in at $97.4 million to $109.9 million.
As design work continued, it crept up to $128 million.
As of Tuesday, the estimate is $132 million.
“(That) is a little higher, of course, than the last, but we know again that is an estimate,” Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said. “The first bid will go out June 19 and come back July 19. Once the bids are received, that is when we will have a more definitive cost.”
It is just an estimate. That’s true. That means the cost might be less — or could continue to climb.
That is the problem with the drawn-out process of governmental projects. School projects are particularly prone to long timelines, as they may have to go through a series of additional approvals with the Department of Education.
Many, like Hempfield’s, also have to go through a convoluted process of planning around the school year and relocation of students for a year or more. Hempfield has consolidated middle schools and is tasking one, Harrold Middle, with being the home to ninth graders during construction.
It has all been a major concern for residents and parents, which has meant lots of meetings and discussions to figure out the best way to go.
But during all those meetings, the cost of construction just kept growing. As of now, the cost has jumped 20%.
That bottom line points to a difficult tightrope for school boards. The longer they debate, trying to find the best solution, the higher the price grows.
It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation for board members. Do they do the responsible thing for the community by having the conversations and encouraging conversations that will collect more input and insight on important issues? Or do they do the fiscally responsible thing and act quickly to keep costs down?
Ideally, they do both. But few schools would have the perfect storm of timing Hempfield has had to handle.