Lawmakers question $35M price tag of Campbell High building
STAR-ADVERTISER
“East Kapolei high school, that needed to be handled 10 years ago. That’s how urgent the situation is out there.” —Matthew LoPresti, State representative
Some state lawmakers are questioning the Department of Education’s request for $35 million for a new building to relieve overcrowding at the state’s largest high school because the same amount paid for the construction an entire elementary school campus last year.
The $35 million request for Ewa Beach’s Campbell High School — which enrolled 3,049 students this school year — is included in Gov. David Ige’s proposed budget, which lawmakers are using as a guide for crafting the state budget for next fiscal year.
TAKING THE HEATState lawmakers have raised concerns about a $35 million budget request to build a new classroom building at Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, the state’s largest school. » The school — initially built for 1,700 students — enrolled 3,049 students this school year. Over the winter break, eight portable buildings with 15 classrooms were installed to help with overcrowding. The new classroom building would add about 30 more classrooms. » Lawmakers question the price tag and whether the project is just a temporary fix. Some contend the state should instead be investing in a new high school for the growing region, given that the Department of Education was able to build an entire elementary school last year for $38 million. Campbell High » Built in 1961 » Largest enrollment among Hawaii public schools » 3,049 students, up from 2,600 five years ago |
The criticism, during a legislative budget briefing before the House and Senate money committees on Thursday, spanned four hours. Some lawmakers contend the money would be better spent on a new high school for West Oahu, the island’s fastest-growing region.
“To go to the public and say we built a whole school … for $40 million (with) 40 to 45 classrooms, (and) it’s now going to cost us over $1 million per classroom to build a building on an existing campus … It’s a hard thing for us to swallow,” said Rep. Richard Onishi (D, South Hilo-Keaau-Honuapo), referring to Ho‘okele Elementary, which opened over the summer in Kapolei.
Duane Kashiwai, public works administrator for the DOE, said the Campbell High building would include about 30 classrooms, including “specialty” classrooms such as science labs. He said the estimated cost also includes funds to upgrade aging utilities and move existing buildings on the 55-year-old campus, which was initially built to accommodate 1,700 students, to make room for the new building.
“Campbell’s existing infrastructure and campus layout is not the best to shoehorn a big building in there,” Kashiwai said.
Dann Carlson, the DOE’s assistant superintendent for school facilities, added that Ho‘okele Elementary, which came in under budget at $38.3 million, realized cost savings in part because it was the first public school built using a so-called design-build method, a streamlined delivery system where the design and construction services are handled by a single company.
That method also requires upfront funding for the entire project, unlike typical public works projects, which are funded in phases as a project moves from planning to design and construction. DOE officials said the Campbell High building wouldn’t be an ideal candidate for a design-build project because there are “a lot of unknowns” with the age of the campus and underground utilities that have to be moved.
State Rep. Matthew LoPresti (D, Ewa Villages- Ocean Pointe-Ewa Beach) called the planned Campbell High building a stopgap measure. He said the area desperately needs another high school. Both Campbell and Kapolei High — which was built in 2000 and is the fifth-largest high school in the state, with 2,038 students — are bursting at the seams.
“East Kapolei high school, that needed to be handled 10 years ago. That’s how urgent the situation is out there,” he said.
Kashiwai said the DOE is in active discussions with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources about a possible site for a new high school near the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus. He said if the department was to get title to the site, it would then move into “active planning to put that school up.”
House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke criticized the department’s approach to awarding construction contracts, saying it doesn’t encourage competitive bidding.
“Today we talked a lot about the $35 million for Campbell High School. … What’s so competitive when we already told everybody in the state of Hawaii and everybody in the world exactly what they can bid for?” Luke (D, Punchbowl-Pauoa-Nuuanu) said. “For every DOE facility contract, before you even go out for bid — or so-called competitive bid — everybody knows what the DOE asked for and what the Legislature appropriated.”
DOE Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi replied, “I don’t know how else we ask for the right amount of money without giving you an estimate of the cost.”
Luke recommended the department consider incentives for contractors to come in below estimated costs. “I think we need to stop thinking like bureaucrats. We have to be creative in how do we make it truly competitive. Are we really getting the bang for our buck, and we have to do it different.”
Carlson, the facilities assistant superintendent, said the DOE is looking at alternatives, but added that it can be a challenge to think outside the box while working within the state’s procurement law.
The request for the Campbell High building is part of $115 million the governor’s capital improvements budget is seeking in additional bond financing for school projects next year. The request also includes $30 million for so-called heat abatement, or initiatives to cool classrooms, and $50 million in lump sum funds.
The amount is well below the $455.5 million the DOE had asked for in state-backed bonds.
On the operations side, Ige’s budget adds $45.7 million in general funds, including the DOE’s full request for $26.5 million in per-pupil funds that are allocated through what’s known as the weighted student formula. In addition, the governor included $9 million to cover a shortfall for increasing utility costs at schools and $6.9 million to cover another shortfall in student bus transportation costs.
The funding, if ap- proved, would add to the $1.53 billion in general funds legislators approved for the department in 2015 as part of the state’s two-year budget.
81 responses to “Lawmakers question $35M price tag of Campbell High building”
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Sounds like something the developers should have been forced to do in order to get the permits to build their residential sprawl. Once again we see the benefit of spending a little on envelopes of love, rather than spending a lot on building the infrastructure for those communities.
YUP as usual TERRIBLE planning and NO VISION or BRIANS from elected officials !
It’s the DOE mostly that failed to plan. But yes the elected officials back then should have fought for this new high school a long time ago.
agree. Developers could easily have built the needed schools. They are cleaning up out here with huge profits. Sad that they continue to deal with such inept legislators and city/state officials.
The developers could have built the school, the cost would have been tacked on to the cost per unit in the development, exacerbating the affordable housing shortage. No such thing as a free lunch.
you mean the families using the school would have to pay for it? how unfair…
Campbell was built in 1961 and has over 3,000 students. Which developer are suggesting should have built it? or should pay for the additional class rooms?
Not at all. Simply called a “User Fee.”
You missed my point completely, sorry.
Kekelaward, very typical in Hawaii’s business and government, and it’s called “Leading from behind.” Hawaii born President Obama is a prime example. Hawaii leaders must learn to “Solve problems before they occur.” As was the objective of the AGT Program, which the liberal BOE watered down to GT in order to level the education field. Anyway…..
Do SA headline writers read the story prior to writing the headline? It isn’t the DOE questioning the price of the building, it’s the Legislature. The DOE came up with that figure.
Over bidding for the building would cut into the teacher’s pay raise.
What difference does it make whether we have a new HS or added classroom in existing schools, the end product will still be the same public education being at the bottom of the pack. As long as HSTA controls what’s in their contract at each negotiation period and then renege after contract has been ratified by the majority iof their members, the REAL TAX PAYERS are left hanging with the bill. Teachers get their raise and screw the REAL TAX PAYERS.
Unfair. Public education is slowly improving.
Operative word? “Slowly”.
DOE patterns itself after federal agencies, depts, &c. – – it starts out kind of slow and then tapers off.
Allie. You are holding the chart upside down. We are declining.
Good one!
No, Public education in Hawaii has been on a downward slide since the early 80’s due to growing union influence and lack of any accountability or performance standards at the DOE. Elected officials no longer represent the people anymore,they don’t have to,re-election is virtually guaranteed. They now represent the interests of Unions, Developers and Monopoly businesses that fund their campaigns and hire their families/friends. Keep electing the same fools and expect things to change, they won’t.
Stop blaming the Teachers! The biggest problem in our education system starts at home. Then, the bureaucratic layers in the DOE. There is probably more UPW workers in the DOE than HSTA workers. The real problem is our political processes. The Legislature and Top Government Officials, who have robbed us every turn in the road. Political favors is killing us!
Ah.. and just who do you think the elected folks are providing those favors to? Unions! The democrats have blocked a full audit of the DOE since the 80’s because they know huge waste will be uncovered from everything from student bus services to school lunch food purchased from democratic party campaign donors. The DOE has 13500 Teachers on the payroll but not all them work in a classroom, if they were we would have average class size of 15 students. Last I heard, it was double that. The waste at the DOE goes on and on, the elected officials know all about it. Ige is now recommending an additional 200 million to their budget.I suppose we’re lucky he didn’t add in the full 455 Million the DOE requested.
I suppose you’re alluding to the drug testing. Tell me how that has affected the teaching or contributed to the “bottom of the pack” as you put it?
Bldgs make a big difference.
No one in power in Hawaii has questioned the cost of the rail. It’s a quick fix by raising the rail tax, and on with life.
Fire Ernie. He’s delaying rail.
Erie of Sesame Street?
“Some state lawmakers are questioning the Department of Education’s request for $35 million for a new building to relieve overcrowding at the state’s largest high school because the same amount paid for the construction an entire elementary school campus last year.”
Someone forgot the word ‘of’ in the last line. Does no one at SA EVER proofread an article?
Yeah, but due to cost cutting measures and outsourcing, he lives in Mumbai and doesn’t speak or read English.
Uh…hundreds of millions of Indians speak English.
Are you that ignorant?
Let’s just see now. Are you the guy who whines about OTHER people ‘sniping’ on these threads, hmmmmm?
How deliciously hypocritical of you, but then, no surprise there.
Caldwell and Ige speak English. They say that they want to raise the taxes.
And hundreds of millions don’t.
$35mil plus change orders equals $60mil+. Better to build a new high school on the Ewa Plain or in East Kapolei.
Start from scratch to avoid cost overruns involving change orders and having to deal with aging infrastructure at Campbell HS. Isn’t there some land available in East Kapolei near UHawaii-West Oahu? And while you’re building a new HS, build a new Stadium (bring back professional minor league baseball and bring in professional soccer). Maybe we can get a school and stadium package deal.
Let’s not forget about wrestling : )
Be sure to hang up lots of mirrors in the high school’s restrooms.
Somebody better do the math for one building. For $35 million you can build a new school. Again legislators who got no clue in any building costs.
How many buildings have you built? Between 2003 and 2009 I was responsible for the construction of a school building that contained spaces equivalent to 10 classrooms. We started with an appropriation of $1.5 million. By the time construction was complete, the costs were about $6.5 million. That included furnishings and technology infrastructure. We made extensive cut-backs to the original plans to trim expense. That was almost 7 years ago. Trying to build a performing arts center, we projected costs at $10-12 million. Somebody is doing the math. Somebody who actually knows stuff.
I taught at Campbell for eight years. One year, a contractor started work on a three story external elevator shaft just before school started (late August). The project was almost finished when school ended (early June). The three story PBRC building on Point Panic was started before and finished after the 30-story Ala Moana Hotel. The bridge over Lake Wilson into Wahiawa took longer to build, and cost more, than the Golden Gate (yeah, inflation, but still …). About fifteen years ago I requested a year’s worth of DOE construction contracts from Budget and Finance. I added the costs of all classroom buildings and divided by the number of rooms. The cost came to about $250,000 per room. These are 30’x40’x10′ concrete boxes in rows of five or six, stacked three tiers high. If you own the land, $250,000 buys a really nice house, with interior walls, kitchen, bath, and polished stone.
Take the 2011 DOE capital improvement budget (__Digest of Education Statistics__) and divide by 2011 DOE enrollment (__Digest …__) and you get $679. Multiply by 30 (students per room) and you get $20,376 per year per class. You could rent that space for less than that. Twenty years ago, Board member Francis McMillen observed that the DOE paid twice as much, per room, as many mainland school districts.
Taxpayers never get a deal when the State is buying. Homeschool. You can extend daycare to age 17 and take the GED.
…mK. Wow! Thanks for the tip. Even Standard and Poors never went into so much detail when rating Hawaii ‘s municipal bonds.
IRT Cello – So under your leadership construction costs more than tripled from what was originally budgeted? How much did your construction company have to kick back to the democrats in campaign donations? Don’t feel bad, all the players pay to play here in Hawaii. Heco gave the Dems 2 million last year, this year they hope to get double that from Nextera.
DOE Facilities Management at its finest!….Lacking of insight and projections, with a lot of over sight of details which amounts to cost overruns + add some corruption = 5X or more final construction cost.
Yeah, but you were part of the problem.
Greedy contractors and construction unions. Nothing new but why hasnt westside developers helped out?
IslandSun, sorry Contractors not involved, it’s a budget. Engineers and Architects are involved. Maybe, when put out to bid, “all” the contractors will be in the $55 million range.
In the past, real estate developers were given State and City approvals, if they provided financial support for the expansion/development of existing public schools; parks and even highways. Are they being required to provide this support when they obtain government approvals to re-zone hundreds of acres to residential/commercial lots today?
These folks should take a look at the Le Jardin campus….no frills on those buildings, it works and it was built with relative economy, compared to the frills and craziness embedded in State specs and their procurement process.
Le Jardin is a really unique self contained campus. But, how many students does it serve?
And, how do they control the hoards of mosquitos which plagued the drive-inn site it sits on?
That’s why the Kailua Drive in theater closed down at that site.
Extra in the mix for future UNION negotiating raises?
Why do State and City projects cost so much? I remember the bathroom at KCC took over a year and a half to build and cost $600,000.00. It has two toilets in the men’s room and two in the women’s. You can build a large luxury home for $600,000.00.
But you wouldn’t get 4 toilets in a $600,000 home, only 2. Now build a 4,000,000 home and you get at least 5 toilets. The rich love to make dodo in all parts of the house
My puppies know where to get the necessary privacy in the house. Do you mind?
More grandstanding by elected officials. Glad I don’t work for the state of Hawaii.
Who cares about the corruption in Hawaii? Just earn the generous benefits for working for the state government.
“To go to the public and say we built a whole school … for $40 million (with) 40 to 45 classrooms, (and) it’s now going to cost us over $1 million per classroom to build a building on an existing campus…” $40 million divided by 40 is a million dollars per classroom. Where did you go to school Mr. Onishi?
Don’t forget to include air conditioners for the classrooms. *rolling eyes***
Soon the public schools will have a bidet for the students.
A/C will make the bill $50 million.
Greedy contractors have been getting away with this for years. The state should enforce competitive bidding with contractors. They don’t.
Lets’ not forget we live on an island and the building materials come from the mainland that have to be shipped to us. Many of the contractors belong to unions. Until these issues are resolved we are faced with escalating costs regardless.
Hilo’s Hawaiian language $21 million dollar, two story, 36,000 square foot complex – Yikes!
Proves you don’t need a college education in Hawaii. Just grab a hammer and start banging away.
Don’t you know, always ask for way more than you need so people think they’re getting a good deal if you cut a few million. Don’t forget, it costs more because everything has to be shipped in from the mainland, including the labor.
Shipped from China is cheaper.
As long as it’s not the drywall.
That’s good to wonder about the cost, but why aren’t our lawmakers wondering about the cost of bringing in refugees, refusing to pay for extra security for the president’s lavish vacation, and AC in the capital building while kids swelter in hot classrooms?
Once again our children will be made to suffer as they parade around and try to act important for upcoming elections. Replace them all with new elected officials who will actually do something.
Us boomers did quite find with only the Hawaiian Tradewinds to cool off the public school.
…but yet sign a carte blanche check for the rail.
Aka, signing a blank check
We elect legislators to provide forward thinking visionaries and to even entertain the idea of spending 35milion for one bulding is simply ridiculous! Build a new High school using recycled shipping containers and implement Leed certified and sustainable design elements. Utilize the use of hempcrete as a material while re-invigorating Hawaii’s agriculture industries. By not using the Design-build approach to cut costs makes you wonder if this is anohter pork barrel project to “take care” of special intrests. This is a train wreck that is slowly happening. We already have the rail to contend with…
You elect legislators to be forward thinking visionaries?
HA ha ha ha ha ha LOLOLOLOLOLOL Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha DEEP BREATH LOLOLOLOL!!!!! This is exactly why everything in Hawaii done by government is over budget, over time and full of complete cronyism – EVERYTHING! This building project in mid-America would cost, at most, $7-8 Million AT MOST! Yet, here it’s enslaving the people with more debt, more interest and more screwed up politics. How sad, how rude and how completely predictable!
Build a totally new school instead of refitting the existing school. Lot cheaper and smarter but who says that the bureaucrats at the DOE are smart.
The overcrowding problem at the high school is much more serious then the number of students at the elementary school. We typically bill elementary schools for 300 students. But the high school was originally designed for 1700 students. So there is now an extra 1300 students that need classrooms. I don’t think we should complain about costs of the extra classrooms for the high school students.
Either they stop building more homes or just build another high school. Plain and simple. Can’t those dump people figure it out?
After thinking about this for 30 seconds I’ve come to the conclusion that they should build a new school. Then move the students from Campbell. Use the old school for vocational education. So easy!
I have a solution: Population control
Amen to that! You nailed it.
Spay or neuter?
So funny. Legislator want a detail estimate of the cost and then complain the contractors will bid that amount.
Hawaii schools was used to be beautiful open space campuses… now its like squatters dotted with portable class rooms… They said its temp but I’ve been out of school for 10 years and I still see the same portables since I was in middle school. The way Hawaii politics deals with the problem is like a person who does not take a shower until someone starts complaining. Pathetic!
Homeless in North Dakota never smell in the winter time.
Hawaii ‘ s high school should include a class in how to make a latte , and a smoothie.