New Elementary School Building Taking Shape

The Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) received their monthly update from Accenture, the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) on July 18. 2025 (video here).

Construction is progressing on schedule. The basic shape of the building is now evident with the steel structure essentially complete, just a few slabs on grade remaining to be poured, and the roof about half on. Light gauge framing, windows, and exterior walls are completed on some sides of the building and coming along on the others.

Those ESBC members who will be participating in the site tour on July 22 will also get a preview of the exterior cladding material in the mockup on site showing the exterior masonry materials. 

Site utilities such as the storm water retention, the south parking lot, and exterior grease trap are in place The geothermal wellfield is about half done and vertical drilling is expected to be completed prior to the start of the school year. Only a few of the over 80 wells posed any difficulty and horizontal work will continue into the fall. 

A total of a little over $3 million in invoices were presented and recommended for approval by the OPM which brings the amount invoiced to date to just under $25 million. These included $65,000 for the designers (DiNisco), ~$50,000 for Accenture, $2.9 million for the builders (CTA), $50,000 for builder’s flood risk insurance, ~$700 for printing of a set of drawings for the onsite clerk, and ~$17,000 for third party testing and inspection to ensure that construction quality meets design and code. Connor Palazzo of Accenture explained that this set of invoices was “a little bit less than our past couple of packages as we’ve moved out of steel erection. There is going to be a small dip down, but as they enclose the building, more trades will continue to get involved and we’ll start to see an uptick”.  There were no change orders this past month. The invoices were approved unanimously by the committee. 

Deb Leonard, the School Committee representative on the committee, inquired about the status of various funding sources for the project related to renewable energy. Chair Cathy Schoen reassured her that the Eversource funding (for the geothermal system) would not be affected by any actions by the Trump administration as it is state, not federal, utility money. She went on to say that funding through the Inflation Reduction Act for the solar panels was “less clear” but that “there is no anticipation that whatever is going on in Washington will end up costing us more money on this project aside from materials costs.” 

Schoen also noted that the “Percent for Art” funding was approved by the Town Council and a committee is being formed to decide on what artist and project will be chosen. While she said that “there was interest in at least some of the building committee members being on that committee, it’s not in the town council’s hand at all. It’s in the art council’s hands.”

The next meeting will be on August 15, 2025 on Zoom at 12:30 p.m.