Renovations are Underway

The renovation portion of construction at the middle school is underway. Although demolition continues, the construction of infrastructure specific to the new additions is becoming visible.

New water lines are being installed and the ground has been prepared for drilling the auger cast piles for the new foundation.

In addition, concrete has been pumped to the third floor where the new concrete floor is being finished. Eventually VCT tile will be installed as the final finish to the floor.

Click here to view the most recent renovation photos.

Fall 2011: Frequently Asked Questions

Months have passed, and the middle school renovation project is underway. Here are the latest, most frequently asked questions, along with their answers:

What caused the delay to the middle school renovation project?
In April 2011, the Quaker Valley Board of School Directors unanimously rejected all bids for the project because they were significantly higher than expected.

What took place between April 2011 and June 2011?
Throughout these months, the architects, engineers, administration, and board members worked diligently to “value engineer” the project in order to lower the overall costs to the district.

Was the district successful with lowering the cost of the original project?
Yes, The second bid showed a significant overall savings of $4.3 million from the original April 2011 bids.

From April to June, what changes were made from the original plan?
The board decided to delay the athletic field and retaining wall along Ohio River Boulevard. Additionally, design changes were made in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and technology areas. There were also many changes to building materials, such as flooring and other finishes. .

How much did the re-bid process delay the project?
The project started seven weeks later than expected.

Will 7th and 8th grade students need to return to Anthony Wayne for 2012-13 because of the seven-week delay?
The district has developed an aggressive renovation timeline that calls for the substantial completion of the project in mid to late August with school opening following Labor Day. Although it is extremely early, we have no reason to believe at this point that this timeline will not be met.

However, there are always unknown factors when renovating a building of this age. Additionally, there could be product delivery issues (e.g. steel, etc.) or regulatory agencies could be slow in providing the approvals necessary to advance the project. Rest assured, though, the district administration and the school board will do everything within their power and authority to adhere to the established timeline. A full-time construction manager is on-site every day, along with Dr. Joseph Marrone, director of administrative services, to direct and monitor the entire project.

As always, the safety of our children is absolutely paramount. Students will not return to Quaker Valley Middle School until we are confident that the environment is safely prepared.

When will the 2012-13 school year begin?
An official school calendar will be adopted in January, 2012. We already plan that the 2012-2013 school year will not begin until after Labor Day.

Why did the board borrow an additional $6 million?
In July the board borrowed an additional $6 million for three reasons. First, the additional funding was needed to complete the renovations that were approved in July. Second, the additional funding will allow the district to complete the retaining wall and work on the athletic field and track. Delaying this work would only prolong the disruption of the entire site. Finally, the board borrowed the additional funds in order to have the money available to address necessary capital building projects ~ primarily at Quaker Valley High School.

It should be noted that district borrowed this additional amount at a historically low rate.

What kinds of communication strategies will you use to keep the public updated?
The school district has made extensive efforts to be transparent and informative when it comes to providing details about the middle school renovation project. We have established a blog with information and photos, eLinks are emailed with updates, and there have been a variety of informational community meetings. In the coming weeks and months, we will provide video depicting the progress of the renovations. None of these tools were used during the elementary renovations.

September 2011: Asbestos Abatement & Demolition Continue

At the September 13, 2011 facilities committee meeting, Landscape Architect Nancy Lonnett Roman, representing Pashek Associates provided a renovation update, reviewing the changes that would be made to reflect the board decision to complete the athletic field, retaining wall, parking and surrounding areas as originally planned.

During the month of September, asbestos abatement continued following the discovery of asbestos sealed in the floors between building levels.

Areas of the building have been demolished to make way for additions and renovations:

• A portion of kitchen and the complete loading dock have been removed.
• The former dance studio has been demolished.
• The athletics storage area has been demolished.
• The walls between classrooms on the top floor have been removed.

On September 26, 2011, the gymnasium was opened up to start work on the addition.

For more renovation photos, select the media gallery under the quicklinks menu on the district homepage and navigate using arrow in upper right corner to Middle School > Renovation Photos.

Relocation and Renovation Commence With the New School Year

On August 29, the seventh and eighth grade students were greeted by Mr. Aiken and Mr. Pellis as they arrived for their first day of school at Anthony Wayne. The students seemed pleased with the school; many had visited with their parents last week.

The maintenance staff, technology team, teachers and support staff had worked diligently all summer to be ready for the school to open. The terrazzo floors shine throughout the building and the classrooms are inviting and decorated to engage the students. The classrooms where Mr. Long, Mr. Truchan and Ms. Bruno teach are just a few of the examples of the effort teachers have made to make their classrooms attractive places to learn for the next year.

At Osborne, the sixth grade team prepared their rooms for the upcoming year. Many discovered they had more storage than they were used to while some of the specials teachers are sharing space and keeping some of their supplies in each of the “middle school” locations.

While the work has gone on at Anthony Wayne – the work started on the renovation at 203 Graham Street back in Sewickley. Though much couldn’t be seen from the street – there was much activity going on inside.

Following a successful auction to sell the remaining items that were not needed for Anthony Wayne or future years, the old middle school was turned over to the contractors. The first order of business was safety and the removal of asbestos from the building, which was built over a half century ago. Once the asbestos removal was completed, interior demolition began.

The year is off to a productive start — the staff and students are adjusting to their new schedules and locations but everyone remains enthusiastic about what this transition year will mean for the future.

Watch this blog for renovation updates. For what is happening at the middle school, check Middle School LIVE accessible from the middle school homepage.

School Board Awards Tech Bid for Middle QVMS Renovation

During a special legislative meeting conducted on Tuesday, July 19th, the Quaker Valley School District Board of School Directors awarded the technology bid totaling $1,929,600 to Horizon Technologies for the renovation of the Quaker Valley Middle School.

The technology award reflects a savings of $74,500 from the bids received earlier this month. The technology component of the project was rebid in order to redefine and clarify specifications for the project.

Construction is scheduled to start at the end of the July, as previously announced.

QV Board Awards Bids for Middle School Renovation

The Quaker Valley School District Board of Directors awarded bids totaling $21.3 million for the renovation of Quaker Valley Middle School during a special legislative meeting on Wednesday, July 6. Construction will begin later this month.

The district had originally hoped to award bids in April. However, initial bids were significantly higher than expected. As a result, members of the school board and administration modified plans in order to balance the district’s educational and fiscal needs. The current project represents a $4.3 million reduction from the original bids that were received in April.

“This is an important step toward completion of a very important facility renovation – one that is absolutely necessary to support the outstanding educational programming for our middle school students,” Dr. Joseph H. Clapper, superintendent, said.

The following bids were awarded:

• R.A. Glancy & Sons - General Contracting - $12,469,710
• East West Manufacturing & Supply – HVAC - $3,857,000
• Guy’s Mechanical – Plumbing - $1,639,875
• A-1 Electric – Electrical - $2,126,100
• Commercial Appliance – Cafeteria/Kitchen Equipment – $535,652
• Northeast Interior Systems – Casework - $583,000
• Jupina Landscaping – Landscaping - $78,985

The board elected to reject all technology bids for the project and will rebid immediately. Re-bids for technology are expected to be received in approximately one week.

The total cost of the project, including “soft costs” such as architectural fees, insurance, and construction management fees will likely exceed $26 million.

“We spent much effort weighing the need to provide an effective 21st century school facility vs. the impact of the costs on the local taxpayers,” David Pusateri, Quaker Valley facilities chairman, said. “We believe we were able to find the proper balance that will now allow us to move this important renovation project forward.”

Plans for the middle school project began during the 2008-09 school in order to address an increase in student enrollment, changes and expansions to the educational program and concerns regarding the facility’s infrastructure.

The renovation project includes a major overhaul of classroom and other learning spaces, upgrades to the HVAC and electrical systems, technology enhancements as well as improvements to the building's security system.

“There has been a tremendous amount of time and energy dedicated toward reframing this project since the original bids were rejected two months ago,” Jack Norris, Quaker Valley school board president, said. “I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the administration, board members, and design professionals for their due diligence and dedication to making this project possible.”

The project will begin later this month – approximately seven to eight weeks later than originally expected.

“As we move the project forward, special attention will be paid to the overall construction timeline,” indicated Dr. Clapper. “We will keep parents and community members apprised as to the progress of the project through the district’s renovation blog and general email communications.”

Read more: Timeline on Quaker Valley middle school renovations unchanged

Additional Frequently Asked Questions

Q: If the project is delayed, will students spend two years at Anthony Wayne?

A: There is no finalized construction schedule to date that would confirm any amount of time that students would occupy Anthony Wayne in the 2012-2013 school year.

During the process of selecting a contractor – the schedule and timeline for project completion will be part of the discussion. Could the project extend into the fall of 2012? Yes, but the board has options of changing the start time of the school year etc. to consider to avoid that scenario. In any case, there is no basis in fact to think that the project could last another full year. Of course, the safety and well-being of students will be a strong consideration when making any determination relating the location of students for schooling during the project.

Q: Why doesn’t the district stop the project and start in another year? Wouldn’t it cost less?

A: There is currently no consideration to postponing construction for one year. It is clear to everyone involved in the project (architects, engineers, board members, administration, etc.) that delaying the project until 2012-13 would clearly be a very expensive proposition for the District and its taxpayers. Predicted inflationary increases alone would lead to significant cost increases. Nonetheless, should the re-bidding process prove to be wholly unacceptable, the project could be delayed by a full year.

Q: Since this is a multi-million dollar project, can’t the district shop around until they find a contractor that will do it at our price and on our time schedule. 

A: Public school construction must follow very specific public bidding guidelines. We cannot "shop around for the best price." That would be illegal. Schools are required to publish specifications and information about the project. Any registered contractor must be permitted to submit a bid for the public project. Following this, bids must be awarded to the lowest responsible and “vetted” bidder.

Q: Has the District considered that there is more of an impact on current grade six students than any other grade level in the District?

A: There is great concern for all Quaker Valley students who need to be relocated due to the construction project. Certainly the relocation efforts will impact a variety of grade levels across the district. When Edgeworth and Osborne fifth grade students were relocated to Anthony Wayne during the elementary renovations, they did not reap the benefits of returning to a newly refurbished building. Similarly, next year's Grade 8 students will not have an opportunity to return to a fully renovated middle school.

It is our desire to relocate next year's grade 7 students for a single school year. As indicated earlier, the board and administration will make every effort to work toward that end.

The middle school renovation project is necessary. The fully renovated facility will serve as a community asset and will benefit thousands of Quaker Valley students for generations to come.

On another note, we have confidence in our students. Based on conversations with the principals and middle school teachers, we believe that all the middle school students will rise to the occasion and with the support of the staff and their parents, the students will overcome the temporary challenges and inconveniences of this change and become more resilient for the greater challenges they may face later in life.

School Board Revises Plans to Meet Project Budget; Discusses Project Timeline

Ever since the Quaker Valley Board of Directors rejected all bids on April 12, 2011 for the middle school renovation project due to costs, architects, board members, and school administrators have reviewed every line item in the scope and detail of the project to determine what could be eliminated or modified.

Jack Norris, school board president and David Pusateri, board facilities committee chair, Dr. Joseph Clapper, Superintendent, and Dr. Joseph Marrone, Director of Administrative Services have met numerous times with the project manager, architects, and HVAC and structural engineers. The objectives have been clear — to find viable changes to the scope of the project, design, infrastructure, materials and plan that will reduce costs without impacting the educational program of Quaker Valley Middle School. “We have been working to make changes to fit the economics of the project,” Mr. Norris said.

Earlier this month, the school board met to review the recommendations of Mr. Norris and Mr. Pusateri with the architects, engineers and project manager present to answer any questions the board might have. Mr. Norris presided over the meeting and along with Mr. Pusateri led the group through each item, line-by-line, explaining each proposed change and the rationale behind each consideration.

At the end of the meeting the board reviewed the projected timeline of the redesign and subsequent rebidding of the project.  The architects agreed to try to complete the redesign within a month; new bid documents would be prepared and the bidding would be reopened. The district expects to receive new bids in early to mid-July and if the bids come in within budget, the project could commence shortly thereafter.

All board members expressed concerned as to how the delay could impact the schedule relating to moving students back to the middle school for the 2012-13 school year. Based on the many meetings and conversations with the architects, project manager and others, it was discussed that although extending the project to the following year was a possibility, it is clearly not the desired choice of the board and administration.

Based on his experience in commercial real estate and construction, Mr. Norris assured the board that they really could not know how the timeline would be affected until the bids were in and contractors selected. He explained that the schedule will be part of the discussion with the contractors who are finally selected; the contractor will be made aware that the district desires that the project be substantially completed prior to the beginning of the 2012-13 school year.

The school board agreed that they didn’t want to delay the move of the students back to the middle school but they also did not want to jeopardize the quality or efficiency of construction by trying to rush the deadline or propose unrealistic construction constraints. The safety of students and staff must also be a top priority.

In the end, there is a genuine commitment to choose a plan that will ensure the timely and successful completion of a renovation project while protecting the safety and well being of Quaker Valley students and staff.

A blog entry will be posted when the board has more details about the project, the timeline and its impact on the 2012-13 school year.

Read more: Timeline on Quaker Valley middle school renovations unchanged

School Board Requests New Bids For Renovation

At their Tuesday, April 12 work session, the Quaker Valley School Board voted to reject all bids for the Middle School Renovation due to overall costs.

A variety of revisions are being made to the specifications and the bid document structure in order to reduce the project costs. The board agreed to delay the current plans for the new athletic field and focus on the building at this time.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to provide an excellent 21st century facility for our middle school students and our community. We will continue to carefully manage the project budget as we proceed with this important initiative, ” said Jack Norris. QVSD Board President.

The project is expected to go to bid in early May and construction will begin over the summer.

Read more: Quaker Valley Rejects Middle School Renovation Bids

District to Adjust Start and Dismissal Times for 2011-2012

There is likely to be a slight alteration to the “bell schedule” for middle school students next year when the sixth grade students are housed at Osborne Elementary School and seventh and eighth grade students attend school at Anthony Wayne in Ambridge.

Tentative Start Time/Dismissal Times for 2011-12:

Grade 6 at Osborne
Start Time: 7:35 a.m.
Dismissal Time: 2:35 p.m.

Grades 7 & 8 at Anthony Wayne
Start Time: 7:40 a.m.
Dismissal Time: 2:40 p.m.

The nominal adjustments are necessary to accommodate bus travel among all buildings. The earlier start for sixth grade provides enough time for sixth graders to attend classes prior to the arrival of the rest of the Osborne students. For example, sixth grade will be able to have art classes, gym, chorus and band prior to school beginning for elementary students; the sixth grade students will not have to compete for the instructional space devoted to “specials” for the first period of the day.

Starting and dismissal times for the elementary schools, kindergarten and high school will remain unchanged for 2011-12.