Board hires construction manager, will tour neighboring school
The Board of Education has named Sano Rubin of Albany as construction manager to oversee some $19.8 million in proposed improvements to the elementary and secondary schools.
“We’re doing everything possible to keep the cost to our local taxpayers low,” said Superintendent Dr. Timothy Mundell. Superintendent Dr. Timothy Mundell, noting that the average annual cost to a taxpayer would be between $20 to $35 per $100,000 of assessed property value, over the life of the loan, because of BKW’s near-80 percent state-aid ratio and $1.6 million that BKW already has in capital reserves. “A construction manager will ensure that our taxpayers’ investment is handled efficiently and responsibly.”
A construction manager works on behalf of a school district, overseeing the project and working with the architect and construction firms from start through completion. The goal is to ensure the project meets specifications, requirements and regulations, budget and cost targets and timelines while also minimizing disruptions at the school.
Sano Rubin was vetted by the Board of Education, and was chosen after a request for proposals was issued and interviews were held. They will provide a team of estimators, project managers, superintendents, and field representatives to oversee every aspect of a project – planning, design, construction, post-construction –to ensure the BKW community gets the highest value for their construction dollar.
What happens next:
BKW administrators and the Board of Education will walk through Duanesburg Elementary School on Saturday, Aug. 26. A capital project very similar to the one BKW is considering was approved by Duanesburg voters in 2015, and construction is wrapping up this fall.
“I think this will be a great opportunity for the board to get a sense of what investing in BKW will look like down the road,” said Mundell.
The board will meet next on Sept. 7, and is expected to vote on the scope of the improvements that will go before BKW voters in November.
What the approval process looks like:
If voters approve the capital project in November, the architects will sit down with stakeholders including office staff, teachers, administrators and department chairs as they present their initial designs.
Stakeholders will continue to meet and work with architects to develop renovation and reconstruction plans for submission to the State Education Department (SED). SED must approve all project plans before work can begin; this process can take six to eight months or longer. Once plans are approved, the district will be able to consider bids on the project.