School board criticizes contractor for Quakertown high school renovation

With classes scheduled to start Monday, the Quakertown school board is criticizing the general contractor of its $72 million high school renovation project for safety issues and missed deadlines.

"A lot of work hasn't been completed," school director Stephen Ripper said at last week's board meeting. "Sidewalks weren't poured, classrooms weren't completed, whiteboards haven't been put in. This was supposed to be done by the 15th."

Ripper, chairman of the board's Facilities Committee, also said air quality inside the building was a problem and described the barriers to control construction dirt and debris as "very lax."

Several board members, who toured the school Aug. 19, also called out Skepton Construction, the Pennsburg-based company heading the four-year project. They said the first three years of renovations have been problematic and complained about a lack of progress.

"It was a disaster the first year, a little better last year," director Chuck Shermer said. "Close doesn't count. ... This really ticks me off."

Ripper said workers have left the school "filthy" and caused the district's maintenance department "to clean areas over and over again. ... Our people are doing more work."

The board decided to work up numbers to "back-charge Skepton for the cost."

"I don't think, overall, they've addressed this construction properly," Ripper said. "Skepton's been really sloppy."

Skepton officials responded to the criticism Friday.

"We're getting it done. I don't understand why there's this bashing," said Bob Perose, Skepton's president and manager of the renovation.

Perose and Skepton CEO Kevin Frantz said change orders that turned classrooms into art rooms slowed down the process but that Quakertown Borough signed off on the certificate of occupancy the week of Aug. 15.

"You can't take the original contract and make all sorts of changes and not add any time to the contract," Frantz said. "The main point is that they got their certificate on time and kids are coming in on Monday. There are no safety issues for the students. Everything is done and it's going to be safe."

Perose said the company even paid for the installation of a temporary ramp to help the district. "I've been bending over backwards to get them in," he said. "We're securing all construction areas. We've put up temporary fencing. They have increased the scope of the work, but everything has been addressed.

"It's very easy for everyone to point fingers. It's not an easy job. It's phased in over four years. You've got kids in temporary classrooms. In all reality, I think everybody is doing a good job."

Shermer asked Superintendent William Harner to analyze what the contractor has delivered versus what the schedule was and have a report ready for the board by its Sept. 8 meeting. Directors said a Skepton representative will be asked to attend.

School board President Paul Stepanoff said the district should go through the contract and put a monetary cost on the items that aren't ready.

"They breached the contract," he said. "They didn't deliver on time so we're in the driver's seat now."

Source: The Intelligencer