MERSD-Essex School Building Committee Meeting | September 22, 2026

The MERSD-Essex School Building Committee met on September 22, 2026, to review project finances and the next steps for the school building design. The committee unanimously approved invoices including JCJ invoice #12 for $97,020, Consigli invoice #1 for approximately $7,668.70, and an ATJ invoice for $14,325; the JCJ invoice included bills from subconsultants. The project manager’s budget had received an additional $300,000 allocation, with more than $111,000 remaining for project-management invoices through project completion. Staff said they would spread that balance across the next four invoices and stay within the allocation.

Cost estimators reconciled the current estimate to approximately $78.8 million for construction and $98.9 million for the total project, with an estimated 20.7% reimbursement rate. Members discussed cost escalation, public communication, and a value-management list totaling roughly $6.3 million in potential savings, including options affecting the roof design; no target budget or value-management items were approved at this meeting. The committee planned further review before setting a budget direction, with a community information meeting scheduled for October 8. The project schedule anticipates bidding in 2028 and phased occupancy in 2029 and 2030.