Richmond Faculty Board votes to expedite design course of at Fox, begin on roof at Clark Springs | Training

The Richmond Faculty Board voted Monday night time to fast-track the procurement course of for design at William Fox Elementary and to start changing parts of Clark Springs Elementary’s roof.

Fox Elementary college students moved into the previously shuttered Clark Springs college final month. The transfer got here roughly three months after a three-alarm hearth engulfed Fox Elementary, closing the college indefinitely. Although the hearth brought about in depth injury to Fox, the Faculty Board beforehand accredited renovating the 111-year-old college as an alternative of rebuilding it.

On Monday night time, Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras’ administration really useful to the Faculty Board an emergency procurement course of to safe design providers for the Fox renovation. An emergency course of is slated to take two months, whereas the choice of pursuing a request for proposal course of has an estimated timeline of six months, in accordance with the advice.

“My advice is to maneuver ahead with the emergency procurement technique, given the will of all of us to see the younger individuals returned to Hanover Avenue as quickly as potential,” Kamras mentioned Monday night time.

The longer the fire-damaged construction continues to be uncovered to the weather, the extra possible it’ll smash its possibilities of being renovated as an alternative of being rebuilt. An emergency procurement would drastically minimize Fox’s publicity time, the advice says.

Fifth District Faculty Board member Stephanie Rizzi requested if the board needed to decide if Fox’s state of affairs is certainly an emergency. In accordance with the Faculty Board lawyer, the administration’s advice is earlier than the board, which grants the choice.

Dana Fox, director of RPS building, mentioned Monday: “To be clear for the emergency procurement justification, the justification that we’re utilizing could be the historic factor of the property.”

Fox acknowledged that Preservation Virginia just lately named Fox as one of many state’s most endangered historic locations.

Faculty Board member Mariah White, who represents Fox Elementary, mentioned she could be superb transferring ahead with an emergency procurement course of so long as the college division may be certain that by doing so, it will not create threat for a bid protest — wherein somebody corresponding to a rival bidder challenges an award or proposed award.

Kamras mentioned he couldn’t assure a bid protest wouldn’t happen, as they sometimes occur with conventional request for proposal processes.

Fourth District Faculty Board member Jonathan Younger first proposed to not comply with the advice and as an alternative direct the division to place out a request for proposals for architectural engineering by July 6 after which award a contract contingent on Faculty Board approval by Sept. 6.

Younger famous {that a} Virginia Municipal League information supplies an instance of what constitutes an emergency.

“Dare I say that hiring an architect is a little bit of a stretch,” Younger mentioned.

Younger’s movement failed. A second movement to approve the emergency procurement course of handed 8-1.

Whereas Kamras really useful appearing swiftly with Fox Elementary, he took a distinct method in addressing Clark Springs Elementary’s leaky roof. Changing your complete roof has a price ticket of roughly $1.5 million. As a substitute of spending it all of sudden, Kamras really useful spending $600,000 to switch particular sections of the college’s roof over the summer time.

On Monday night, the Faculty Board accredited the advice. White requested if the division may make sure the roof replacements could be accomplished by the beginning of the upcoming educational yr. Whereas Kamras mentioned he couldn’t assure a accomplished job by the beginning of college, he mentioned he’ll attempt his finest.

The $600,000 isn’t coming from the college system’s upcoming fiscal yr’s $2.5 million capital enchancment program. With the cash already accounted for, the division will fund the roof undertaking with the anticipated further $4.5 million in capital enchancment funds from the state.

Earlier than transferring Fox college students into Clark Springs, the previously closed college wanted a laundry listing of repairs, together with to its roof. Minor repairs and patch jobs for the roof price about $900 per journey.