Geary USD 475 will move forward with the construction of the new Fort Riley Elementary School, but the districts executive team has been tasked with finding ways to cut an unexpected $4 million overage.

The BOE was informed last week that the bids for the project had come back and were $4 million higher than expected due to higher construction costs within the region.

After discussing the overage again on Monday the BOE directed District Staff to move forward with the project not to exceed the $4 million overage, but work on cutting the $4 million cost as much as possible, and report back during the BOE’s August meeting.

Dr. Corbin Witt, Superintendent of Schools said he is hopeful to cut all $4 million of the overage costs.

“But I don’t know if we will get all $4 million. I think that we’re going to really work hard to at least get half, if not more. But like I said we’ll leave no stone un-turned,” Witt said.

William ‘Bill’ Clark, the Districts Director of Business Operations went over some of the ways they could cut costs.

“One of them is value engineering, looking at ways we can create some efficiency to reduce those construction costs. Working with our partner, Fort Riley, and some potential nuances that are really tied to building a new school on a military installation. Plus we’ll go back to the Office of Economic Adjustment, who we got the grant to build the school, and work with them to see what can be done,” Clark said.

The executive staff will report back to the BOE during the August meeting and go over where they found cuts and seek approval to move forward with those cuts.

The new school will continue to move forward on the same construction timeline that has it opening in time for the start of the 2015-2016 school year.