VINCENT With the concrete block structure of its new elementary school rising less than a mile away, the board of education for Warren Local Schools received an update Monday night on the districts construction project.

Were fully under way with the elementary building, and the high school is about ready to start footers and interior concrete, said superintendent Kyle Newton. Theyre moving scaffolding around the elementary school as they finish it up to the roofline.

The project has proven to be more expensive than originally expected, and the board last month got approval from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission for the fourth amendment to its agreement. Newton provided the board with a summary of the process and history, which notes that the estimates were originally drawn up in 2015, the bond levy was defeated in November 2016 and then passed in May 2017. Groundbreaking for the elementary school was held in April of this year.

During that period, Newton said, there is no provision in the OFCC process for updating cost estimates.

The district included a $5 million contingency fund in the bond levy, but Newton said the board has been adamant that the state assume its share of any cost increases attributed to market conditions on the co-funded parts of the project.

With the state paying 72 percent of the costs, theres a lot at stake, he said. If you add a million dollars to the co-funded part, thats $720,000 we need to get from the state.

So far, Newton said, the board has been successful in doing that and the state has been co-operative.

The OFCC has been phenomenal, he said.

Newton said Warrens experience points to deficiencies in the states process for what are called lapsed districts those that get state approval but get rejected by local voters several times before being successful. It isnt part of the established process to periodically update the costs for districts that have to appeal to voters over a period of several elections. As a result, at least for Warren, nearly four years had elapsed between the initial estimates and time work actually began.

The original estimate for the entire project was $63 million. Newton said that figure is obsolete but the total cost estimate has not been updated recently.

Board president Bob Crum said Warrens response apparently is unusual.

Most boards just accept that theyre over the budget and go back to the public for more money, but we havent done that, he said. Were not backing down on that, and weve been blessed.

Board vice president Sidney Brackenridge said the OFCC had been reasonable in considering the amendments and picking up its share.

I have to credit the state, theyve really stepped up, he said.

In other matters, the board:

Authorized creation of a new account to receive $369,424 from the newly created state fund intended to provide mental health and social services for students and their families. Treasurer Melcie Wells said creating a separate fund was a condition of the grant.

Heard a presentation from Paul Mock, southeastern regional manager for the Ohio School Boards Association, awarding Warren board president Bob Crum with a certificate recognizing 15 years of service.

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