Wheeler Project Hits Budget Snags

As students start a new school year today in trailers, the major renovations expected to begin soon around them have run into some financial obstacles that have altered what the final project will look like.

The proposed reconstruction of the 47-year-old main school building is still awaiting final approval from the Cobb Board of Education after all construction bids came in over budget. 

Cobb County School District SPLOST Chief Administrative Officer Doug Shepard told the school board at a work session last week that negotiations are continuing with low-bid winner Hogan Construction Group of Norcross to keep the project near its base budget of $17 million.

Hogan’s low bid came in at $19.6 million after beating out four other bidders in July. Shepard said the tightened budget and hammering out new terms with Hogan haven’t been easy. 

“There were some compromises in that project that we didn’t feel were right for the Wheeler community, right for their campus and right their educational environment,” Shepard told the board. “I believe we’ll be able to make a recommendation that is nowhere near the project as we envisioned it with all the alternates. To be fiscally responsible, it will be near the base bid, but it may exceed the base bid in order for us to accomplish some of the things that need to be accomplished at that campus.”

'Much improved campus' awaits

The compromises include eliminating improvements to the drama, culinary arts and horticulture programs and an undersized theater. But Shepard said the project would still leave a “much improved campus” for Wheeler's approximately 2,000 students who at last count speak a total 59 different languages.

“It will eliminate all the portables and the campus will get a brand new two-story main building,” he said of the new building. It will also improve the school’s traffic flow so that bus and auto traffic can be separated as they are at the district's other 15 high schools.  

However, traffic flow will likely be even more congested than normal on Holt Road throughout the anticipated three-year project as part of the school’s parking will be lost because of construction and some of the 28 portable classroom delivered to the school this summer. Many of the trailers appear to fill every available space in the front of the school.

“This is the first time that we’ve gone in the middle of a school and done construction while we’re doing school,” Wheeler Assistant Principal Chuck Braddock said. “We normally use adjacent land or add to the ends, but because we’ve already run out of property we had to do it on the property. We’re building the school offsite, like the walls as prefab, because there’s not enough room for the construction and the building.

“It’s going to be fabulous when it’s done,” Braddock said. “The community is going to really appreciate it and we really appreciate what the board has done for us.”

A major demolition plan

Moving the contents of the soon-to-be bulldozed media center/library to the school’s auxiliary gym this summer illustrates the uniqueness of the improvement project. Besides the media center, the project also will demolish a third of the school, which includes knocking down the historic auxiliary gym and the popular senior lobby. To keep students away from the construction zone, a new walkway has been built that connects the north and south campuses.

“I have been here 20 years and I am so excited to have this school new,” Assistant Principal Millie Threeton said. “We have such tradition and a dedicated community that we deserve a great facility. I love this place.”

During the school board meeting, Shepard fielded questions from board members Scott Sweeney of East Cobb, Kathleen Angelucci of North Cobb and Tim Stultz of Smyrna. They asked about some of Wheeler’s needs going unaddressed, funding the project and its increasing budget, which Shepard said actually would be $23 million if the original scope of the project wasn’t cut back significantly.

Sweeney asked Shepard if some of the project’s cost overruns resulted from square footage projections changing to meet state-mandated building requirements.

“The existing space at Wheeler is actually undersized. It was built to 1960 standards and since that time our district standards have expanded,” said Shepard, who noted the project changed from a renovation into an addition project. “It’s easy to say that a classroom is so many square feet and add that, but to actually configure it on a campus requires other spaces, hallways and things of that nature, so there was some inflation from our preliminary estimates in the square footage.

"But, ultimately, it really boils down to Wheeler will have more space as a result of this addition than they would otherwise have than simply renovating the outdated space.”

Shepard explained that some of the project’s escalating budget could be absorbed by the district saving $15 million on construction costs so far this year. Stultz also suggested starting partnerships with private entities to shore up gaps in district funding. Shepard agreed and referenced using private funds to pull off its recent exterior painting and façade upgrades.

The Wheeler project comes back before the board on Aug. 25.

New Superintendent Michael Hinojosa concluded the board’s discussion on Wheeler by recognizing the by staff members, students and community members to get to this point for one of the district’s venerable schools.

“I know it is difficult for us when we get these numbers that we’re not happy with and not everybody wins, but I think in a spirit of compromise I want to thank everyone for working so hard on this project to make it a reality for these kids that need this,” he said. “I just want to thank everybody for their hard efforts thus far. We’re not there yet, but obviously I want to appreciate all the work that’s been done on this.”