New London — Project and construction managers overseeing the $108 million reconstruction of New London High School are pushing for a May start date for major construction work.

And while bids on the project came in at more than $4 million over budget, closer scrutiny and revisions to the plans over the past several weeks have nearly closed the budget gap. Diana McNeil, project manager for Capitol Region Education Council, said the value engineering work is still ongoing and some numbers remain fluid, but the construction manager for the project, Newfield + Downes, has "no other choice" but to bring the project within budget.

The state, which is reimbursing the city 80% of the costs for much of the project, will not consider any reimbursement to the city for items outside the $108 million budget, McNeil said.

Tom DiMauro, project executive for Newfield + Downes, said last week during a meeting of the School Building and Maintenance Committee, that changes in the scope of work have reduced costs by an estimated $3.8 million, though an estimated $708,890 of those cuts are still pending approval.

A subcommittee that includes city and school district representatives have spent the past several weeks examining more than a hundred line items to find cost reductions. Materials were changed, costs of fixtures revised, allowances for contractors lowered and numerous individual line items that included labor costs were scrutinized, McNeil said, in order to fit into the budget.

Newfield + Downes now awaits approval from the City Council to award contracts to eight trade contractors involved in the early construction phase. The contracts would total $48.2 million and include things like electrical, concrete, plumbing and site work. The council also will have a chance to look over a list of proposed changes made during the value engineering process.

The council on Monday also will be asked to approve $4.3 million to cover abatement and demolition costs. Money for the high school project and for reconstruction of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School — a total of $168 million — was approved at a referendum in 2014 to complete the facilities portion of the state’s first all-magnet school district.

The project has faced a list of setbacks, major changes, funding shortfalls and delays. But two smaller phases of the project, an outdoor track rehabilitation and asbestos abatement, have been completed.

McNeil said the award of early bid packages are a critical part of the timeline for the project, since they allow for construction of an addition at the high school that needs to be done by the summer of 2021 in time to accommodate students that fall.

The addition will be crucial swing space when work gets underway in other portions of the school, which will remain occupied during the phased construction over the next several years. Students will be moved into the new addition when work starts on other sections of the school that are vacated.

A delay in approving these early contracts jeopardizes the entire construction schedule and there are 18 more bid packages waiting to go out later this year. Because of the speed at which changes are being made, some members of the school building committee hadn’t even seen the proposed changes before voting to approve them.

“I just want to make sure in all the cuts we do make, they’re not taking anything away from the students as far as programs or things that they need to have for their curriculum,” school building committee member Martha Bauduccio said. “That’s always my concern when we’re subtracting numbers.”

McNeil said program space was not considered in the cuts. “You cannot take away a classroom, a toilet or reduce the square footage of the building,” she said.

The district has been assured that none of the changes would impact programming at the school, though some of the proposed elements simply never made it into the final plans because of costs.

Kate McCoy, the school district’s executive director of strategic planning, voiced her displeasure during a recent school building committee meeting that some of the so-called “alternates” for the project were not part of the final design.

Those items included a stair tower for easier flow of students within the school and an enclosed connection between the STEM Magnet High School and the New London High School. Students travel between the two schools for classes.

“The school district has never felt these were alternates,” she said.

Bryan Doughty, a member of the subcommittee examining potential places to save money, said he personally argued against removal of any furniture, fixtures or related equipment, which he said are important aspects of running successful magnet schools.

Doughty said his hope is some portions of the project will be rebid and additional savings can be gained to go toward the alternates.

Plans for the school include updated classrooms and more room to accommodate a grades 6-12 visual and performing arts magnet school. Those students will be joined by high school students in STEM and International Baccalaureate programs.

Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School will house middle school students in the STEM and International Baccalaureate programs.

g.smith@theday.com