Lyons Township High OKs $321K In Cost Overruns

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School board members this week approved $321,000 in cost overruns for recent building projects.

One board member cast a rare no vote on all three change orders.

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The biggest overrun was $276,497, which was for Waukegan-based Happ Builders. The company handled the South Campus renovation that featured a new cafeteria and music department.

The contractor's total overages for the work amounted to $363,000, bringing the project total to $30.9 million. The change orders amounted to about 1.2 percent of the project.

Historically, the high school designates a certain amount of money for overages.

Officials acknowledged that contractors know about the allowance for change orders and may act accordingly.

An example was brought up about a $1 million project, with a 10 percent allowance.

"Once it's in the contract, contractors like to get that $1.1 million," said Brian Stachacz, the school's top finance official.

Board member Kari Dillon was among those who expressed qualms with the change orders.

"It's just frustrating when we allow for a large variance, and we're still going quite a bit over," she said.

Board member Elias Lopez said he understands when contractors encounter problems once they open up walls. But he expressed little sympathy for other add-ons, which he said should have been part of the contract.

"It adds up," Lopez said. "I feel that we need to be more transparent in that aspect of it."

Board members were told that the work for the change orders had already been done.

"What if we don't approve it?" Dillon asked.

"I imagine the contractor would get into some sort of lawsuit to cover losses for the work," said Ed Wright, the school's architect.

"We're in a rock and a hard place," member Jill Beda Daniels said. "We're going to have to vote yes for it."

Lopez was the only board member to vote against the change orders.