The Horry County Board of Education awarded a contract $53.3 million over budget to build five new “high-performance, energy-positive” schools Monday night.
The board approved the final contract for First Floor Energy Positive – a design company out of Raleigh, N.C. – to build all five new schools at a total cost of $220.6 million. The cost of the new schools goes about $53.3 million over the original funds set aside for the projects.
I like Cadillac schools like everyone else. I just can’t convince myself that’s what Horry County Schools needs.
John Poston, district 7 representative
The motion passed 9-2; John Poston, district 7 representative, and Neil James, district 10 representative, voted against the motion.
“That budget was put together over a year ago and it was never adjusted for inflation,” said Joe DeFeo, board chairman. “It was known the price was going to go up, but we still have to get these schools done.”
The contract promises a May 1, 2017 delivery date for all schools and does not allow for any work order changes, which will keep costs stable and expedite the work, DeFeo said. The contract also states that First Floor use local labor to build the schools.
A Request for Proposals committee met several times over the last three months deciding which architecture firms could build the new schools. In June, four firms were selected to submit bids for at least two of the new school projects.
$220.6 million New cost of 5 new schools
The full board approved the committee’s selection of First Floor Energy Positive at their regular meeting in October. The board met in executive session for a total of three hours before awarding the contract.
“Though some of the other firms were lower, what First Floor did was give us the specific proposal we asked for,” DeFeo said.
James, who voted against awarding the contract, said his major concern was awarding all the work to just one vendor. He said he’s worked with First Floor partners before, and doesn’t doubt their ability to do good work, but giving everything to one company is worrying.
“I’ve had a philosophical issue with handing all contracts to one vendor, and the budget is an issue too,” James said.
Sherrie Todd, district 2 representative, disagreed with James.
“I had that same feeling at first, but after reviewing everything, I believe First Floor will build us beautiful buildings,” she said.
The board decided to use a design-build project delivery system for its five new schools, which means a single firm performs both design and construction of each project.
Even though First Floor itself is not a local company they have demonstrated an impressive promise to hire from the local economy. This will be a huge impact on the Horry County economy.
Ray Winters, district 3 representative
Robbie Ferris, CEO of First Floor, presented his previous high-performance, energy-efficient school designs to the board last year. Soon after, the board threw out previously approved conceptual design plans. The board stated they needed time to request and review energy-efficient designs before approving any new construction projects.
The district had budgeted $167.3 million to build five new schools, according to John Gardner, chief financial officer. The district increased the funding for the new St. James area school by about $6,000 earlier this year.
The $53.3 million increase could have a substantial impact on the district’s budget for other projects, which worries Poston, the district 7 representative.
“I’m just really afraid the district has spent all our money on this project, and we won’t have any capital funds for anything else,” Poston said. “I just can’t get behind it.”
New schools
Carolina Forest, Myrtle Beach and Socastee middle schools; St.James intermediate/middle school; Socastee elementary school
DeFeo, board chairman, said the district already has the money to build the schools. Since the budget was not adjusted for inflation, and because the district did not factor in costs for roads or work on undeveloped land, the increase is justified, he said.
“When you start looking at all the other costs, it adds up, so the $53.3 million isn’t so far ahead,” he said.
Poston disagrees.
“We’re going to have to roll up our sleeves and see what we can find, budget-wise,” he said. “I’m just concerned.”
Claire Byun: 843-626-0381, @Claire_TSN
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