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Maybe they could have waited until the lava crossed highway 130 before closing the school but what do I know - I am merely a monday morning QB!
Temporary Keonepoko school costs
Modular classrooms $3.9 million
Project support $477,000
Technology $230,000
Fire protection $151,000
Tenting, doors, gates $138,000
Electric $53,000
Parking area $48,000
Container rental $28,500
Kitchen moving $20,000
Freight and transport $2,000
Total $5 million
+$1.5 million move back to Keonepoko Elementary
http://khon2.com/2015/08/06/lava-scare-c...ool-moves/
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In a matter of a mere two months (warp-speed in the pokey DOE), those temporary portable contingency modules at Keaau High were made available, just in case. A miracle really.
Had the lava not been cruising at a quarter of a mile per day at the time, I'm sure the school (and all the worried home-owners/renters down Kahakai) never would have evacuated.
When, in late October, things began looking especially dire, the final decision was made to run, before the air-quality became too dangerous for the kids, and the escape-route for all those Matson containers full of school-gear got cut off.
Believe me, in general I'm just as upset as the next tax-payer when it appears my hard-earned money's being wasted. However in this case, I'm just relieved and happy it all worked out. I have some good friends that work at the school who, after the year from hell, are absolutely thrilled to be back "home."
Shoots, I would have coordinated all that for less than half.
Hope they call me or ask for bids next time ...
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damned if you damned if you dont
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Given the way things were trending at that time, I don't begrudge them the decision to move. What is problematical is the expense. The portable classrooms in particular were so unbelievably overpriced as to boggle the imagination. Some well-connected contractor really cashed in on that one, but that's the Hawaii way.
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Yeah, the DOE Psychic must have been laid off last year due to budget cuts.
Well, at least the savings from not having to pay their salary offset some of the other expenses, like moving the kitchen.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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quote:
Originally posted by pog
Shoots, I would have coordinated all that for less than half.
Hope they call me or ask for bids next time ...
Could you do it while providing state prevailing wages for every worker (50+/hr laborer, 60+/hr drivers, 65+/hr electricians) in a short time frame (overtime!), while getting following all the required laws, permits and paperwork.
If can, please start a construction company and start bidding on these projects, asap, you will make a fortune.
Everyone loves to complain how overpriced things are while not mentioning the elephant in the room. The state/county is required (by law) to pay well above market labor rates.
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To the best of my knowledge no one gets state contracts without kickbacks figured in.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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I moved half my house into a storage unit. I think I had to pay 100 bucks after the first free month... After almost two months I moved it all back.
Didn't count the cost of my time and trips moving it all there and then back. After that, I figured screw it, if the lava comes, so be it.
It's amazing how much the government wastes.
I admit I got caught up in the panic of it all myself, I should have known better tho! For some reason I was thinking how fun moving my crap would have been on railroad.
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Hindsight is 20/20 most of the time. It was a prudent thing to do, considering the speed the flow was moving and how close it was getting. It had to be distracting to be in those classrooms then.
The cost of the modulars seems high in total but works out to $172K each for 22, if the admin and library modules were the same size. They are the equivalent of triple-wide mobile homes on the mainland. First off, it was an emergency order, so that adds a premium. Second, they had to be manufactured on the mainland, trucked, loaded, shipped, unloaded, trucked, loaded (ferry), unloaded, trucked, unloaded and assembled. A basic triple-wide mobile home on the mainland right now is about $120K. Depending on how specialized the classrooms had to be, that could easily add $20K to $30K. Even with 20 classrooms, that meant 20 students on average per modular, fairly spartan.
You know, it has to be a beehive behind the scenes, what to do with those modulars now.
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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