Here’s a more detailed explanation of the current situation that Mayfield provided:
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“Delayed Possession of the Building: The district was able to take possession of the building in September, but this was later than expected because the previous tenants did not vacate the property until then. This delay in occupancy pushed back the initial timeline for starting renovations.
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Demolition and Fire Sprinkler System Installation: The first phase of the project involves significant work, including the demolition of the first floor and the installation of a fire sprinkler system. To move forward with this, the district is working with Crossland Construction, which is responsible for managing the bidding and contractor selection process. This phase is taking time because:
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- Bid Development: Developing comprehensive and detailed bid specifications is a complex task, as the district needs to ensure that all demolition and safety requirements are thoroughly defined.
- Advertising and Contractor Selection: The district must go through the formal process of advertising the bids, reviewing proposals, and selecting qualified contractors. This process ensures that the contractors meet all the necessary requirements and can complete the work within the budget and timeline.
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Renovation Phase: Once the demolition and fire sprinkler installation are completed, the next phase of the project will involve the renovation of the first floor to create classrooms and office spaces for the preschool program. Like the demolition phase, this will require issuing new bids, selecting contractors, and ensuring that all construction meets safety and educational standards. This phase, too, will take time to execute properly.
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Funding and Budgeting Considerations: The project is being financed through the district’s capital outlay budget. This requires careful planning and allocation of funds to ensure that sufficient resources are available for each phase of the project. Additionally, capital outlay funds must be managed responsibly to cover not only construction costs but also unexpected expenses that may arise during the project.
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Revised Timeline: Due to the delays in obtaining possession of the building and the time needed for proper bid preparation and contractor selection, the project timeline has shifted. The district now anticipates that the facility will be ready for use at some point during the 25-26 school year. Work will continue throughout the 24-25 school year, with the goal of completing the facility’s construction and renovation in time for the preschool program’s operation in the 2025-2026 academic year.”
“The district met recently with Crossland Construction on the next phase for the preschool building to move forward with plans at the building on Horton Street,” Mayfield said. “Drainage issues do not seem to be a concern, so our next steps will be to move forward with demolition of the interior of the first floor and to install the fire sprinkler system.”
“Once the construction management agreement is in place, they can then begin to put cost estimates on the demo and fire sprinkler system.”
” Crossland Construction will be putting out requests for bids for the demolition and for the fire sprinkler system. They plan to get the demolition started soon after the first of the year. They will be taking interested contractors through the building prior to the bid dates. Once we know these costs, we can then plan to move forward with this phase and then plan for and budget and get cost estimates on the next phase of renovation.”
The current wait list for becoming a student at Fort Scott Preschool is three children.
The current enrollment at the school is 111, Mayfield said. “We are expecting approximately 18 more students to transition to preschool before the end of the school year.”
Currently, there are four early childhood special education classroom teachers, one intervention teacher and 11 paraprofessionals, Mayfield said.
Nick Johnson is the principal of the preschool.
To view the prior story:
Fort Scott Preschool Will Get Bigger Facility in 2025