HAMLET — A new move-in timeline for the new L.J. Bell Elementary School facility was presented during the August Richmond County Board of Education meeting, with project officials outlining options that could push the school’s opening beyond the fall 2028 timeline initially presented.
Ashley Dennis with Moseley and Blair Bordeaux of Bordeaux Construction Co. provided the board with updates on the facility, which is currently in the planning and pre-construction stages.
Bordeaux, the project’s construction manager, said the goal had been to open the school in fall 2028. However, after reviewing the project details and schedule, including the possibility of an early site package, the timeline remained about seven to eight weeks beyond what would be needed to meet that opening.
Bordeaux said trying to meet the fall 2028 opening would require compressing portions of the project schedule, including the design process.
“So what it showed was there was a lot of time in design that we were skipping through on quality control, the community input, the design input, the cost input. Really was not going to do that level of service that we felt was needed. So that was one thing we looked at,” Bordeaux said.
Bordeaux said the team also considered an early site package that would include erosion control, early grading and demolition of the existing slabs. He said the additional work could add about $500,000 to the project’s cost without bringing the schedule in line with the fall 2028 target.
“It really did not set the project up for success in really trying to push the schedule. And even then, it was still six to eight weeks behind what the project schedule needed,” said Bordeaux.
After discussing alternatives, Bordeaux and Dennis presented the board with two potential options: a midyear move during the 2028-29 school year, or an August 2029 opening.
“I think that’s what we wanted to present to you is the project schedule and really be able to talk through the benefits of doing things the right way with design, with community input, with cost. The other thing that is relevant to this project because it is a needs-based grant-funded project… this will be the fourth one that we’ve done,” Bordeaux said. “Every one that we’ve done, because unused funds revert back to the state there’s an incentive to really find ways to maximize all the dollars that are coming to Richmond County. What that results in is a lot of late work that gets incorporated into the project. So even if we were targeting a fall 2028 open, we would probably be there anyways doing work with the kids there…”
Dennis emphasized that the project is not currently behind schedule but said the fall 2028 target left little room for changes or delays.
“We want this to be an extremely successful project, so we want to provide you with schedules that set you up for success and the project up for success,” Dennis said.
Board member Bess Shuler questioned how the project could already be considered behind schedule and Dennis responded that the team was not saying construction itself was behind.
“What we’re saying is that to turn over the school in the point of August of 28… when that schedule was kind of talked about, everything had to go right. Well, in that we’ve had just minor things, but those minor things kind of still start compounding. And to try to make that work, we’re trying to eat out of other things. So, even if it’s just a week of a contract, like going through a process or a week of some discussion so that you as a board feel really confident about decisions as you move forward.
All of those things have to come out of something else because it was so exact. And so, we’re not behind. We just know that those things will continue to happen and we want to be able to go to the community and give presentations,” Dennis said.
Board member Bobbie Sue Ormsby also questioned the change in the timeline, noting that during discussions in June over the demolition of the school’s auditorium, the project was expected to be completed in time for an August 2028 opening.
“How did that change so much?” asked Ormsby. “Because we decided to tear it down, not keep the auditorium. So, how did it change?”
“Just because something can be done, it may not be the right decision. So in order to open fall of 2028, it would involve compressing the project schedule into about a 12-month project schedule…,” said Bordeaux. “It comes down to then that increases cost, it increases the level of difficulty, so less competition on it from subcontractors and then it forces us into a conversation about, ‘alright, well how much building square footage we cut out to deal with that compression?’”
Bordeaux said that when he and Dennis presented information to the board in June, they knew the schedule was “extremely aggressive” and had conveyed that several factors would need to fall into place.
“We don’t have the geotechnical report yet, which releases Ashley to do structural design. We don’t have the asbestos report. We haven’t had a meeting with the City of Rockingham,” Bordeaux explained.
He added that compressing the construction schedule could lead to reductions in both square footage and the number of classrooms, “which is also not desirable.”
Vice Chairman Scotty Baldwin said he was glad the potential change in schedule was being addressed at this stage of the project.
“We do want quality and we don’t want to rush through it,” Baldwin said.
Shuler expressed concern about what a later opening could mean for Monroe Avenue Elementary School. L.J. Bell students will be housed at the former Ninth Grade Academy on County Home Road while the new school is constructed, with Monroe Avenue Elementary later expected to move into that facility.
“What doesn’t sit well for me is what this does to Monroe Avenue. I mean, we promised them that we were looking out for them, and I want the best school we can get. I don’t want us to do it halfway, but… that really hurts my heart,” Shuler said.
Bordeaux said the board did not have to decide on a move-in date at the meeting because the decision does not currently affect the project’s schedule, but “it will eventually once we get to that next decision, that next critical path activity that has to happen before it delays the project.”
Demolition of the former L.J. Bell facility is targeted to begin in November and continue into January 2027, according to Bordeaux. Before demolition begins, an abatement survey must be completed.
In other business, Director of Construction Steven King also provided the board with updates on several projects across the district. King said renovations for L.J. Bell students at the former Ninth Grade Academy on County Home Road are complete.
Two pre-K classrooms at Mineral Springs Elementary School have been moved inside the main building, while East Rockingham Elementary School will debut a new pre-K classroom, its first at that location. Monroe Avenue Elementary School has also undergone pressure washing and painting.
Several items at the former L.J. Bell facility on Hawthorne Avenue have been designated for surplus, including a boiler, chiller and auditorium seats. A public walk-through of the former school is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to noon.
At Richmond Senior High School, a 10-foot fence is being installed at Raider Field to replace a 4-foot fence. The new fencing will extend approximately 90 feet from the dugout to the players’ warmup area.
Shingle roofs have also been replaced on 10 athletic buildings at Richmond Senior High School, including ticket booths, visitor and home restrooms at the football stadium, concession stands, football practice field restrooms and the soccer building.
The softball field is being prepared for infield grading, while additional fencing is being planned for the baseball field. Sound system upgrades are also underway at the baseball and football fields, along with improvements to the graduation stage.