Los Lomas, Vineyard Ranch contractor suffering from money troubles
Back to School became a bigger hassle than usual for several hundred families in the Stone Oak area today, when they were told by North East ISD Superintendent Dr. Brian Gottardy that not only will two brand new elementary schools not be open in time for the start of the school year as scheduled, they may not be open until Thanksgiving...or even later.
The problem, 1200 WOAI news reports, is Summit Builders, the contractor building Las Lomas and Vineyard Ranch elementary schools, is having financial problems, and was missing payments to subcontractors.
The district’s Aubrey Chancellor says the bonding company has had to take over construction management.
“The bonding company has now essentially taken over the project financially speaking,” she said.
A letter from Gottardy to parents says officials from Safeco, which is Summit’s bonding company, has begun an assessment process to see how much construction has been delayed.
“Revised completion dates that we had been given are now in serious jeopardy,” she said. “We are awaiting more information from the bonding company.”
The revised completion dates were between October 25 and November 1, but Gottardy says those deadlines ‘are now in jeopardy.’
Chancellor says the students who had been set to begin the school year in the new schools will remain in the buildings they attended school in last year.
“Luckily we had room at those schools, so there isn’t going to be a capacity problem,” she said.
The district says it is ‘awaiting further information’ from Safeco.
