Essex school committee wanted to see possible cuts before setting a budget

The committee planning a new Essex Elementary School put off setting a target price on Sept. 22. Members said they wanted to see what could be cut before choosing a number.

The Essex School Building Committee met six days before Essex officials said a cost review had brought the price down to about $95 million. Read that story.

At the Sept. 22 meeting, the project's latest estimate stood at $98.9 million, including $78.8 million for construction. Two estimators, Consigli and AMF, priced the design separately and came within 1% of each other, according to the committee's posted presentation. The state's effective reimbursement is estimated at 20.7%.

How the price grew

The posted slides show how the estimate has moved. An early study of options put a new prekindergarten through fifth grade school at about $95 million. In the spring, the chosen design was estimated at about $93 million, with about $19 million from the state. Project managers stressed that those earlier numbers were only meant to compare options, not to price a real design.

Members of the project team said construction costs have risen about 40% since Manchester Memorial Elementary School was bid in 2019. The new school is estimated at more than $1,000 per square foot, about twice Memorial's cost. They pointed to tariffs on steel, higher energy code requirements such as triple glazed windows and more insulation, and new technology.

The design team said the building has almost no extra space to cut without changing the educational program. Doing that would send the project back to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a new review.

A list of possible cuts

Project managers asked the committee to set a target budget that night. Committee member Charlie Hay and others objected. They said the committee should first see the value management list, dozens of possible cost cutting items prepared by the design and cost team, instead of picking a number and then cutting to reach it.

Several members said the committee has a duty to look for savings. Others warned against cutting so deep that the town regrets it later. One member noted that every million dollars affects taxpayers.

The committee agreed to send the list to all members that night. A working group was to review it the next afternoon and bring a recommendation back to the full committee. Project managers said the budget figure had to go to the state about a week later, and that the committee must sign off on the schematic design Oct. 13 so it can be submitted to the state Oct. 14.

Survey results

The project team also shared results of a recent community survey on the building's front entrance and roof. Most responses came from Essex. Respondents split evenly between the two roof designs under consideration. Most rated the entrance space favorably and praised the windows, natural light and exposed wood. The most common concerns in written comments were the size and scale of the entrance.

Members were asked to weigh in on the roof choice as part of the cost review.

Other business

The committee approved the Sept. 8 minutes and several invoices by roll call.

The project's posted timeline shows town meetings in November, debt exclusion votes in December, and students moving into the new school as early as summer or fall 2029.

Check the forum date

The school district's online calendar lists the next community meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Essex Elementary School, and another Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Manchester Memorial Elementary School. The schedule in the committee's Sept. 22 presentation and the Essex selectmen's postings list the same dates.

Town meetings in Essex and Manchester are Nov. 16. Debt exclusion votes are scheduled for Dec. 10.

Update, Oct. 4: The school district's calendar now lists the Essex School Building Committee community meetings on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Essex Elementary School and Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Manchester Memorial Elementary School, matching the Essex selectmen's postings. Earlier versions of this story gave the district's earlier listing of Wednesday, Oct. 7.