New Dublin High School: School Board OKs $156M Contract

DUBLIN, CA — Dublin school board members awarded a contract for the first phase of construction on the new Emerald High School after six years of planning and more than a year since the ceremonial groundbreaking on a hot September evening.

The vote came Tuesday night, during a special board meeting devoted entirely to the new high school and presentation of a final draft report on the Dublin Unified School District’s facilities master plan. The plan maps out construction of other new schools and modernization or expansion of existing facilities.

Board members unanimously approved award of a $156.1 million contract to Napa-based contractor BHM Construction.

“The creation of a second comprehensive high school is the district's highest priority in our bond program,” said Chris D. Funk, superintendent, in a statement.

Thomas Moore, the district’s assistant superintendent of facilities and construction, said Tuesday night that the contract award was a “very important milestone in our efforts to construct a new high school.”

BHM submitted the lowest of three bids on the final pieces of the project’s first phase, which is expected to be completed in 2023. About 1,300 students will be able to attend the campus after the first phase is completed and 1,200 more students can enroll after the second and final phase is completed.

Although estimates for the project ranged from $184 to $197 million, BHM’s bid was almost $28 million below the district’s lowest estimate. Unsuccessful bidders were Swinerton Builders of San Francisco, which bid $169.2, and Rodan Builders of Hayward with a $180.7 million bid.

Board member Gabi Blackman noted the successful bid was substantially below original cost estimates and asked if the district was going to see a lot of change orders that increase costs.
Moore responded that the district had used various methods to “try and make sure our change orders are within industry standards.”

The Emerald High project's first phase includes three increments. BHM bid on the final two increments; a $6.5 million award was previously handed out to Teichert Construction of Pleasanton for the first increment, which covered site preparation.

The second increment of the project includes the construction a three-story academic tower, gymnasium, locker room tennis courts and parking lots. The third increment will include the construction of a two-story administration building and kitchen, a two-story library and a student union building.

The district had an additional budget of $8.7 million to cover the cost of furniture and other items not provided by the contractor, Moore told the board.

So far, the district has already paid at least $60 million on the Emerald High project, including $38.3 million for acquisition of the 23.5 acre school site at Central Parkway and Grafton Street in east Dublin and the $6.5 million to Teichert Construction for site preparation. An additional $14.2 in contracts have been awarded to six other companies for architectural, environmental consulting and other work.

Emerald High is the crown jewel in the district’s aggressive overall construction program with current costs for all projects planned and underway estimated at $671.4 million and future costs projected to be as much as $360.8 million.

With interest on general obligation bonds already sold and planned future sales to fund construction, the total bill for taxpayers over the next three decades could exceed $1.1 billion.

The district said its timeline for the Emerald High Project will be released in the next six months.

Burgeoning student enrollment created by explosive residential growth in Dublin has filled its schools to near-capacity. An additional 535 students enrolled in Dublin schools between 2018 and 2020-21, according to statistics compiled by the California Department of Education.

Data compiled by the State Controller’s Office, which distributes lottery proceeds to school districts on the basis of average daily attendance, show that between 2016 and last school year Dublin schools saw a 36 percent increase in the number of students attending classes. For the current school year the district estimates 12,418 students will be attending classes. The district projects more than 14,000 students will be crowding classrooms by 2026.

Board members also discussed Tuesday the draft of the facilities master plan that has been revised several times since January amid considerable debate over how it would be implemented. A vote on the final facilities plan is expected at the board’s Nov. 30 meeting.

More from Patch:

• Why DUSD Is Struggling To Pay For School Projects
• DUSD Sells $116M In Bonds To Move Forward With New High School
• DUSD Reports At Least $184M Shortfall On School Facility Projects
• Dublin School Board Inches Toward Final Vote On Facilities Plan
• Dublin Elementary Parents To Rally For School Improvements