Summer Vacation Extended as Supply Chain Issues Delay NEW Gardner MA Elementary School Opening
Two weeks ago on July 15, 2022 Gardner Magazine published an article quoting the Project Supervisor at the NEW Gardner Elementary School. At the time he stated that “They hoped to be ready for the start of school with 6 weeks left to go.”, implying that the start of school might be delayed. Our 7/15 story. Today, August 1, 2022 apparently Bacon Construction assured the Gardner School System that they can get everything done in just 2 more weeks. As a result, the opening of Gardner Schools will be delayed according to the timeline at left. (CLICK IMAGE for larger view.)
Update: 8/2/22: 9:10am – We are awaiting a call from Superintendent Pellegrino regarding the timeline, AND a call back from Project Manager Joe McDonald of Agostini/Bacon Construction regarding the reality of the timeline. We’ll update you as we have further information.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Pellegrino wrote the following to the Gardner School Committee in an email 8/1/22: “Hi folks, Bacon Construction has said they will need two more weeks to finish the project. I have been assured that it will ONLY BE TWO WEEKS. I explained that I am willing to break the bad news of the delay ONCE, but they cannot come back and asked for more time. I have been assured that it won’t happen. The attached letter explains the reasons for the delay. So three things: 1. The elementary school will be delayed two weeks (8 school days) with a new start date of 9/15 for grades 1-4, 9/15 for kindergarten, and 9/19 for preschool. (All of these dates are two weeks later. I will be requesting a waiver for 4 of the 8 days. 2. The middle school, high school and Gardner Academy will only be starting one week late (9/6). 3. We will need to vote on a new calendar at our first meeting. Call or email me if you have any questions or concerns. Mark.” pdf
Dr. Pellegrino provided the following for the Media. 8/1/22 “Here is a quote from me about the delay: ‘We are disappointed that the construction was delayed due to incomplete deliveries resulting from the same supply-chain issues that have plagued the entire nation, and understand how difficult this is for families. However, this decision balanced the importance of getting students in school right away, with the challenge of unpacking, starting the school year in our old schools, repacking, and moving to the new school. This seems to be the best option considering all factors.
I have been assured that this delay will only be two weeks, and no more. Although this poses a great difficulty for my families and staff, I am thrilled that children will be able to start school in our brand new facility!’”
A letter was prepared for Gardner School Families. 8/1/22 Read the entire letter in PDF Format. CLICK HERE.
The letter to Gardner Public School Families contains the following information: Since we began construction of our new school, the building committee, business office, maintenance department, and outside contractors have overcome many obstacles to keep us on-time and on-budget while COVID continues to impact staffing and our supply-chain significantly. This past Friday, during our weekly scheduled check-in meeting, we learned that two supply-chain issues will require us to delay the opening of Gardner Elementary School by two weeks. This change requires that we also delay the opening of Gardner Middle School, Gardner High School, and Gardner Academy by only one week. Specifically: The elevator team had to stop work because part of a shipment of electrical fuses, elevator buttons, and some electrical panel boards was incomplete, and Our order of electrical panel boards (part of the main power distribution equipment) did not contain all of the necessary panels to power the building. Both of these recent issues were a direct result of supply-chain issues and caused subsequent delays in the project’s overall timeline. Until Friday, our expectation was to move in on time. Fortunately, we have been proactively planning for this situation. The following schedule considered: ● Balancing the importance of getting students in as soon as possible and providing teachers with the time they need to prepare for the opening of a new school; ● The impact on our sports programs and MCAS curriculum timelines; and ● Allowing the bus company to settle issues caused by having entirely new bus routes and start times. We apologize for this significant inconvenience. Please contact your school if you have questions or concerns. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we finish the lengthy, exciting process of building a new school for our children. Sincerely, Mark J. Pellegrino, Superintendent of Schools. PDF format, CLICK HERE.
Publisher’s Note: Parents should have a contingency plan for a longer delay, just in case it is necessary. As we stated in the opening to the story, we were advised on July 15, 2022 that 6 more weeks was needed as of that date and we fully expected to publish a story such as this at some point. While it is believed that both the construction company and School District are acting in good faith, neither has complete control over the Supply Chain which they both hope will cooperate with their needed timeline.
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