Construction at Lycoming Valley Intermediate School earlier this summer. KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

With a little over a month and a half to go until classes are back in session in the Williamsport Area School District, progress at the construction project at the Lycoming Valley Intermediate School is raising concerns.

“I’m not happy with some of the things that have occurred on the project,” said Superintendent Dr. Timothy S. Bowers. “But we’re on it and we’ll stay on it and we’ll continue to report to the board so that you guys are aware of how it’s going.”

Several change orders were on the agenda for board approval at this week’s meeting, which prompted Bowers’ comments.

“We’re not happy with these change orders. Change orders happen in a project. Some are not surprising, but others are,” Bowers said.

Expressing that the district is concerned about the timeline for the project, Bowers said, “We’re pushing contractors to get back on that schedule. We do have to have kids in that building in August. We have been told by our contractors that they (the students) will be back.”

Bowers added that the district is not unhappy with the contractors involved with the project.

In his update on the project, Ben Mike, from Fidevia, the construction management and consulting firm overseeing the Lycoming Valley project, told the board that one of the problems the contractors are encountering is the workforce supply.

“This time of year, as you probably know, there’s a lot of competition for labor. A lot of schools like to concentrate on getting the work done when the kids are not in class,” Mike said. “We’re competing with a lot of other projects.”

He admitted that by the time students return there could still be some “fit and finish pieces” and some items that “are not as pleasant to look at.”

“But they won’t affect the functionality of the building or the safety,” he said.

“We are all committed — everyone on the job,” he said.

Later in the meeting, Mike told the board that the contractors are putting on a second shift in order to move things along.

Change orders approved by the board for the Lycoming Valley renovation and field projects were:

• Increase scoreboard footing diameter and depth and revise size and length of steel support columns; add one column per scoreboard, $16,973, Lobar Associates.

• Provide modifications to new Gym storage including removal of portion of wood gym floor; install vented rubber base and add ¼ inch plywood underlayment, $10,476, Lobar Associates.

• Provide furring and GWB to conceal existing unforeseen gap between the top of the wall and roof deck in both music rooms, $8,260, Lobar Associates. (retroactive)

• Modify hollow metal door frames and provide partial wall infills to meet building codes, $20,780, Lobar Associates. (retroactive)

• Provide wall modification to two toilet rooms, $3,965, Lobar Associates. (retroactive)

• Revise the concrete masonry unit (CMU) below the stage to allow support of the concrete slab and deck and then continue with 8-inch CMU above the slab bearing, $980, Lobar Associates. (retroactive)

• Rock drilling/coring for scoreboards, $14,150, Musco Lighting.

• Add plumbing piping, fixtures and equipment to the concession stand as they were not identified on the contract drawings, $24,750, Myco Mechanical.

• Add a faucet for fixture which was not indicated on the plumbing documents, $854, Myco Mechanical. (retroactive)

• Upgrade the model type of water cooler, $9,830, Myco Mechanical. (retroactive)

• Provide conduit rough-in to the ballfield control panel to light poles and from building to control panel; Musco will credit the same amount, $6,000, Turnkey Electric.

• Provide six additional exit signs at the gym area and add an emergency circuit and relay for emergency lighting at the stage, $4,680, Turnkey Electric. (retroactive)

• Revise light fixtures in a corridor to the band due to revising the ceiling to a fire rated assembly, $830, Turnkey Electric. (retroactive)

Bowers had indicated that after the approval of these change orders, the district would have used 37% of its contingency fund for the Lycoming Valley project, which he said was “higher than I would like it to be, but contingency is there to use if needed and we need it.”

The district is also undertaking two other projects this summer.

Change orders approved for the Curtin Intermediate School carpet and window project were:

• The removal and disposal of floor tile and associated mastic found when carpet was removed, $28,423, Penoco.

• No longer having to temporarily recaulk window units, $5,300 credit, Penoco.

• Removal of lead-containing wooden frames on 50 window units, $11,369, Penoco.

• Removal of lead-containing wooden frames on 103 windows and waste/disposal costs, $23,994, Penoco.

• Remove glass in hollow metal frame and replace with two louvers, $905, Lobar Associates.

• Supply and install 40 Matt Black brakemetal sheet behind spandrel glass, $1,838, Lobar Associates.

• Supply and install four mullion mates with clear anodized finish in several offices, $7,347, Lobar Associates.

• Additional stock lengths needed to adjust rough opening measuring larger than the sizes indicated, $4,481, Lobar Associates.

• Additional underlayment and primer due to mastic being found, $17,973, Shaw.

Change orders for the high school carpet removal and installation of luxury vinyl tile flooring project are:

• Demo, grind and floor prep and installation of the tile flooring in the health suite, $28,680, Shaw.

• Floor prep and installation of the tile flooring in areas where the lockers were removed, $10,397, Shaw.