School Committee: Update on CCHS Building Project, Plan to Discuss Transportation Department

The met last night, and heard an update on the progress of the .

School Committee and Building Committee member Jerry Wedge said, "The consultants, architects, and project managers have a lot on their plate."

The Building Committee is meeting tonight at the high school at 6 p.m. to review the most updated version of the building plans.

"The architects are continuing to progress with their plans," Wedge said.

The next big step for the project will be to secure a construction manager at-risk. Wedge said 11 firms responded to district's request for qualifications. All of them have met the district's pre-qualification standards and will be in Concord on Jan. 19-20 for interviews.

Following those interviews, Wedge said, the field will be reduced to a handful of finalists who will again be interviewed on Feb. 15.

Wedge said by securing a construction manager at-risk, the district will be awarded an additional half of a percentage reimbursement point from the Massachusetts School Building Authority on the project. Also, by doing so, he said, "the people who are going to build the building, it gets them into the process earlier."

The School Committee also went over the plan for the Feb. 1 public forum set to discuss the future of the Transportation Department.

"We've invited all the parents, community members, anyone who's interested," said Superintendent Diana Rigby.

"That's the opportunity for the community to come out and make their feelings known," Committee Chairman Peter Fischelis added.

The School Committee will review the report drafted by the consultant hired to assess the various options facing the district in regard to the Transportation Department during their regular meeting on Jan. 24. Comments from the public will be heard at that meeting, but the committee may reserve all responses and comments of their own for the February forum.

The Feb. 1 forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the .