Finalizing South Fayette construction taking longer than expected
While the South Fayette High School renovation was finished on time for classes to begin this year, several smaller aspects of the construction project are taking longer than expected.
Joe Brennan, construction manager at PJ Dick, said during the school board’s Sept. 19 meeting that the project’s original date for completion of Sept. 22 would not be met.
“That (date is not) going to happen with some of these late deliveries,” Brennan said.
While the project will not be done on time, Brennan assured the board that it is not affecting the education of the students.
“But the building is fully operational and classes are being conducted and we’ll keep pushing these contractors,” he said.
Superintendent Bille Rondinelli gave a “brief” list of aspects of the project that still need to be completed, including 11 doors, directional signs, handrails, lights in the theater and interactive televisions.
Another item that needs to be completed is fixing the misprinting of 21 signs in the building, which caused some contention during the meeting. Some of the signs have the wrong verbiage, while others have the labeling the wrong way. The locker rooms, box office and refreshment are among signs that were labeled incorrectly.
“They were reviewed by the high school principal (Aaron Skrbin),” construction liaison Gene Manzini said.
“So you just threw him under the bus?” board member Teresa Burroughs said. “That’s not OK.”
“Again if that was reviewed, all of that would have been picked up,” Manzini responded.
Skrbin, who didn’t attend the meeting, referred all questions to Rondinelli, although she could not be reached for comment later in the week.
Brian Tony, the director of finance, said replacing the misprinted signs will cost the district an additional $2,324.
Also during the meeting, Alana Kulesa, director of strategic education initiatives at the Carnegie Science Center, recognized the district as a Distinguished Pathway Partner to promote STEM education initiatives. In the past three years, Kulesa said the project has grown to 18 states with more than 200 partners, and South Fayette was one of the first districts to become a partner.
“South Fayette was with us from the very beginning, and under Dr. Rondinelli’s leadership, we not only developed a process and tools that helped schools, but we developed really national recognition for the work that was happening,” Kulesa said. “Exemplar districts like South Fayette have really shone a light on what STEM education should and could look like for districts around the country.”