Runkle School Renovation An Issue

The Runkle School renovation completion date of Aug. 15 is looking a bit precarious these days.

The project has already been beset by delays, and now a threaten to extend a completion date that Superintendent Bill Lupini noted would making moving in an arduous task to begin with.

“It would be very difficult,” he said during the School Committee meeting Thursday night. “That would be very tight. But we can do it. I’ve had experience doing it in other places and I know we can do it.”

Lupini commented that if the project misses the Aug. 15 date, it does not mean they will automatically push moving into the building until December.  

“The complicated factor is the plan B, or the plan C, or god forbid, the plan D. That’s what I worry about,” said Lupini.

He added, “We have already begun to play around with all the potential scenarios.”

The heating and ventilation units have become the latest hurdle to clear. After receiving complaints from neighbors about their size and location, the Runkle School Building Committee recently asked the architects to draw up designs to move or change the units. They have agreed to do so at no cost, but reserve the right to charge for the designs later.

“The architect never told us,” School Committee member Helen Charlupski said about the controversial units. “He never made it clear. There was never an explicit discussion of this.”