County Executive Jan Gardner today released the final report of the School Construction Work Group she appointed a year ago. The recommendations of the Work Group achieve her goal to lower school construction costs by 8 – 10 percent, including: reducing the volume of schools ($2 million) and changing ceiling tiles ($300,000) and the height of roof parapets ($45,000). Additional savings can be gained through seeking a state equivalent to the LEED Silver standards ($200,000), as well as changing HVAC, state legislation and other initiatives.
The report contains over 40 recommendations ranging from legislative solutions, site acquisition and preparation, delivery methods, construction technologies and other general cost savings.
“I’m very proud that once again Frederick County is leading the way in finding solutions to reduce costs for schools without sacrificing quality, performance or the life of the projects,” said Executive Gardner. “I commend the members of the Work Group for sharing their time and talents to address rising school construction costs.”