KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

As the Jack T. Farrar Elementary project moves closer to finishing up, additional repairs or upgrades has led the project to see a third amendment to its guaranteed maximum price (GMP) budget, increasing it now to just over $22 million.

At its Sept. 23 meeting, Finance Director Hank Jordan presented the item to amend the GMP budget to accommodate a change order of $434,898, changing the budget from $21,935,033 to $22,369,930.

Jordan gave a brief overview of the project’s budget amendments, where he stated that the board had originally approved to amend the GMP budget for the JTF project from its original budget at $18,097,370, which was set in January 2024, to $19,040,155.46 in June 2024, with the focus on completing the new building. Then, in May 2025 the GMP budget was amended to $21,935,033 to accommodate a $2,894, 877 change order for work on the old building, gym, art, music and kitchen area, which will be used for the students in kindergarten through fifth grade, as well as the existing pod areas that would be converted to the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC). 

Jordan said the third change order was for the work on the pod section of the old school, which was constructed in the 1970s, focusing on additional repairs or upgrading items. These items included:

• Removing and replacing existing HVAC diffusers to improve air flow and energy efficiency in the large pod. The new diffusers would also match the new ceiling titles.

• Replacing the existing controls with Trane controls for consistency with the new building.

• Adding spray insulation to the perimeter of the existing building, where none remains.

• Installing rain leaders drain lines to the rear playground for drainage.

• Replacing a set of existing doors leading to the new cafeteria.

• Adding a conservative increase of contingency funds to ensure the project is completed.

After making the request to amend the GMP of the JTF/ELCL project to $22,369,930, Jordan said he can answer any questions and brought a representative of the contractor, American Constructors, who could also answer questions.

After the motion was approved and was opened for discussion, board member Pat Welsh encouraged everyone to visit the school and see how much space there is now in the old section. He added the work needed is a cheap investment as other school buildings will now have the needed space. Board member Rosie Graham said someone in the community asked if there was going to be a lot of open space when they move all the younger students into the ECLC. Director of Schools Dr. Catherine Stephens said it would be somewhat open, as there are some discussions to build some walls, as well as using parts of the existing building for work rooms, resource rooms and RTI rooms which already have walls 

“Remember, we are looking at Little Cats Learning Academy moving there and really expanding to welcome many children, which we’ll be talking about in the future, and then bringing all of our preschool classes, those that are with students with disabilities and voluntary Pre-K,” Stephens said.

Board member Broc Compton asked Jordan, given hearing the budget is over $22 million, if he could explain to everyone not be familiar with the budget of how it would cost to rebuild JTF from the ground up versus to what were doing now. Jordan said the cost of new building was around $395 per sq. foot. So, if they were to tear down JTF as is to build a new 30,000 sq. foot would be about $12 million by itself. Then, adding in the costs of the expansion would bump the budget to over $30 million.

Stephens added that originally, they weren’t going into the existing building to the level that they have now.

“We anticipated using music, art, and PE the whole time, but because of cost, to your point, we ended up going in and taking that kindergarten pod, which became the cafeteria,” Stephens said. “So, we really modified the new building into the existing building to preserve and be good stewards.”

Compton added he wanted to show that the school district was saving $20 million in the current project than building a new building from the ground up.

With no further discussion, the school board unanimously approved to amend the GMP of the JTF/ELCL project to $22,369,930.