By Megan Miller, Editor
TRUSSVILLE – At the Trussville City Schools work session on July 14, the progress of Cahaba and Magnolia Elementary Schools was reported.
The Cahaba building is an extensive renovation of an existing building while the Magnolia facility is being built from scratch.
Steven Blalock of Blalock Construction reported that Cahaba Elementary School will be complete for the start of school on August 24. Construction is nearing completion at this time and finishing touches will soon be put on the building, as well as paving and landscaping on the exterior. Substantial completion is expected on or before August 10.
“Cahaba Elementary School is beautiful and everyone is excited to move into this historic building in the center of Trussville,” Superintendent Dr. Pattie Neill said. “Watch for details coming soon on a ribbon cutting for the new school.”
Gary Nivens of Argo Construction reported that Magnolia Elementary School is running several weeks behind schedule, and won’t be turned over to the school system until September 23. Nivens claimed 28 weather days and 59 days related to change orders, most of which will now be used by Argo to finish the school by the revised completion date.
Board Member Bill Roberts pointed out that the Cahaba and Magnolia projects have run parallel to each other, with Magnoli Elementary School being built from the ground up, and Cahaba being renovated.
“Magnolia couldn’t have been simpler for a new building,” Roberts said. “Cahaba was a complicated situation, but it rained the same number of days at Cahaba as it did Magnolia.”
Nivens reported that some needed materials have been delayed, and there currently isn’t enough manpower to get the job done on time. Nivens said everyone is currently working Monday-Saturday on the project, with 10-hour days Monday-Friday and 8-10 hour days on Saturday.
“My vocabulary will not allow me to express how disappointed I am,” Roberts said. “The reason I was following this job so closely is I had phone calls and warnings that there would be a day of disappointment in that job, and today is the day of disappointment.”
Board member Stan Garret said that Argo Construction should consider the number of people that will be disappointed by the school not being complete on schedule, and consider going outside a normal operating system in order to get the job done.
“I think sometimes you have to go outside normal systems so the customer is satisfied at the end of the day,” Garret said. “In operations, a 10-hour day is a short day. If materials are delayed there are ways to expedite that; it may cost more money but it can be done.”
Nevins said that Argo Construction has reported issues as they’ve arisen, and been denied requested time extensions over the course of the project.
“We’ll work to open the school as soon as possible, but as far as saying it’ll be on time, I can’t make that commitment,” Nevins said. “To make that commitment would be disingenuous.”
Board President Sid McNeal said according to his records extensions at the beginning of the job had been denied, and that expediting a job in the last month of a project is a lot more difficult than expediting a job in the last 90-120 days of the job.
McNeal said there would be a subsequent investigation as to why the project was not completed on time, regardless of weather or materials.
“From what I see you and the architect have been at odds since the beginning of the job, and we’ll need to do some investigation into that,” McNeal said. “The job will be ongoing during our next meeting in August, and we may ask that you come see us again then.”
Dr. Neill was able to report the school system has a plan B in place, compiled by the principals of Magnolia and Paine Elementary Schools. All parties have worked together to ensure that schedules, lunchtimes, bus drivers, bus numbers and more will remain the same from August through June, the only thing that will change is the location when the move is made from Paine Elementary School to Magnolia Elementary School.
“Administrators, faculty and staff will work to ensure a seamless school year with no interruption to the educational program,” Neill said.
38 Comments
Jason Lynn
Carman Lynn
Sherry Agnew
Amy Agnew Gay, Julie Agnew Rollin
Whitney Lewis Rother
Ben Jackson
Kevin Wright
Unbelievable. They should pay heavy fines for this. No excuse for letting the school board know 5 weeks before the job should be complete that it will take 12 more weeks to be finished. Simply unacceptable!
Lauren Lawrence Taylor
Stacie Tucker Lee Ryan Jennings
Lynne Hurst Jackson
Brian Jackson told you those trailers weren’t going anywhere.
Stacie Tucker Lee
Ugh! Well that’s frustrating
Vickie Armstrong Jackson
THIS TRULY IS MORE UPSETTING THAN THEY REALIZE. MY HEART GOES IMMEDIATELY TO THE TEACHERS HAVING TO SET UP 2 CLASSROOMS. YOU JUST ADDED EXTRA WORK HOURS THAT THEY MOST LIKELY WILL NOT BE PAID FOR AND YOUNG CHILDREN HAVING TO ADJUST TO SUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE HEADS-UP THAT SCHOOL LIFE IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE STRESSFUL THIS YEAR. I KNOW ONE FIRST GRADER THAT DOESN’T NEED THIS!!
Stacie Tucker Lee
I’m just thinking of my little kindergartener who will already be overwhelmed with going to a new school and then having to switch schools a month later and get readjusted again. This is a lot to ask of a child of that age.
Kay Fochtmann Mickel
Did anyone really think Magnolia would be complete? Didn’t we just talk about this? Gena Ray Cranford
Stacie Tucker Lee
At all of the school meetings I have been to in May and June we have been told they were on track.
Natasha W. Frantz
Steve Frantz
Marc Ward
59 days of change orders.. That’s 2 months of changing your mind… IMO that’s a lot to ask for any contractor
Rory Nicole Jenkins
With Cahaba opening on time, there should be plenty of available classrooms inside Paine for the Magnolia students/teachers.
Judy Williams Coleman
Not surprised nothing is ever finished on time in Trussville!
Kay Fochtmann Mickel
It’s common in school construction as well.
Melinda Boothe Curtis
What is the name of the construction company building the school?
Erica Huffman
So, no update on the construction at Paine? We do have 3 schools, right? Trying to be calm in my comments here, but it is difficult! I echo so many comments others have made and hate this for the teachers and students.
Judy Morrow Rice
Argo for magnolia
Kimberly Hazel Johnson
YES! I cannot imagine how these teachers must feel!! This entire situation is a disaster…
Judy Morrow Rice
i pass by Magnolia to and from work and just told my husband last week no way that place is going to be ready on time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harold Clements
Sounds like contractors should be paying overtime to get it finished, or pay a penalty.
Judy Morrow Rice
I pass by everyday and new there was no way
Rory Nicole Jenkins
Erica Huffman
Rory Nicole Jenkins thank you! I am just irritated that it wasn’t part of the overall update.
Leah Scharf
Rory Nicole Jenkins is this new construction in place of the trailers? Or do the trailers remain?
Rory Nicole Jenkins
Leah Scharf The trailers are leaving. The new construction at Paine is a new media center and offices in the center area that was between the Primary and Intermediate sides. There will be around 25 empty classrooms at Paine once Magnolia and Cahaba open leaving no need for those trailers.
Leah Scharf
Rory Nicole Jenkins what is going in those vacant classrooms? I’m glad to see they are following through with the trailers.
Rory Nicole Jenkins
Leah Scharf They will be used for Magnolia at the moment. I have no idea beyond that other than some will stay empty in preparation for the school’s continuous growth.
Carolyn Childers Matthews
The article says they don’t have enough manpower….so you’re telling me they can’t get enough construction workers to help with this?!
Leslee French Hughes
I am just wondering why we needed TWO new schools if Paine will have 25 empty classrooms after the move?!?!?!
Leslee French Hughes
I doubt seriously that this is the first indication the school board has had that it would not finish on time.
Kellie Martin Robbins
So the students will start at Paine and then be transferred over?
Kellie Martin Robbins
Staci Brown
Dabney Long Wilson
What do they plan on doing in the future when three schools full of children leave the elementary school? Sounds to me like they’ll need to build more junior highs and high schools then! Glad my daughter is a senior!!! We’ve been dealing with trailers since she started kindergarten. That’s sad.
Rory Nicole Jenkins
I think TCS is also planning to expand the preschool program after this year for some of those rooms. Trussville is constantly growing. They will not all stay empty for long.
Judy Morrow Rice
Yep
The Trussville Tribune
Here’s the plan for starting the school year…
https://www.trussvilletribune.com/2016/07/14/plan-released-for-housing-paine-magnolia-elementary-schools-together-temporarily/