Construction on the Olentangy Local School District’s fourth high school is on track to be under budget, according to a financial summary presented to the school board Thursday by Business Management and Facilities Director Jeff Gordon.
The up-to-date construction budget for Berlin High School shows nearly half ($33,518,944) of the $68,969,218 guaranteed maximum price construction contract with the Gilbane Building Company has been spent on the project as of Sept. 28.
Gordon said the nearly $69 million price tag is 0.83 percent below the total project cost of $69,549,437 approved by voters in March 2016 for the new high school scheduled to open for the 2018-2019 school year on Berlin Station Road.
In a related matter, the board approved a change order for Gilbane in the amount of $123,444 for the installation of an automatic irrigation/sprinkler system at Berlin High School that will service eight athletic fields (two baseball fields, two softball fields, and four practice fields). The work will be handled by Rain One Inc., Blacklick.
“All of our athletic fields are irrigated with well water,” Gordon said. “It saves us money by not paying Del-Co the cost for water to use on the athletic fields.”
District well-represented at conference
During his report to the board, Superintendent Mark Raiff praised two district employees and a resident of the district for being honored during the Ohio School Boards Association’s Fall Conference held Sept. 27.
The three individuals recognized were Jonathan Juravich, Katie Bowser, and Emily Truitt Robinson.
Juravich, a Liberty Tree Elementary School teacher, received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award, while Katie Bowser, a district employee since 1994 and currently the secretary to Treasurer Emily Hatfield, received the Exemplary School Employee award.
Robinson, a district volunteer with three children enrolled in the school system, was honored with the Friend of Public Education award.
“It was very nice to be there to honor them and thank them for their service to our district,” Raiff said.
In other business:
• The board accepted the resignation of Katherine R. Bigley, intervention specialist at Berkshire Middle School, effective at the end of the current school year.
The following supplemental resignations for the fall athletic season were also accepted: Melissa J. Fink, Olentangy High School assistant band director; Gregory S. Miller, Olentangy High School percussion advisor; and James W. Oblitey, Liberty High School assistant field hockey coach.
• Two student organizations were approved for establishment by the board. They are Kaleidoscope at Orange Middle School and the Tri-M Music Honor Society at Orange High School.
As described in their student activity purpose statements, Kaleidoscope’s mission is “to make our school a safe, welcoming place for students who identify as LGBTQ and their allies,” while Tri-M’s purpose is to “foster service and leadership among advanced music students at Orange High School.”
• The board’s first regularly scheduled October meeting has been changed from Oct. 12 to Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. in the district’s administrative offices, 7840 Graphics Way, Lewis Center.
