Plans to update four schools in Lyme-Old Lyme may cost considerably more than anticipated, given bids discussed on Monday by the Board of Education’s Building Committee. CT Examiner reviewed a number of budget and bid documents prepared by Downes Construction, which is overseeing the project for the district. With bids for Mile Creek Elementary School, the largest single portion of the schools project, still outstanding, Downes told the committee that the total costs were already $7.7 million over budget. Voters in Lyme and Old Lyme approved $57.5 million in borrowing in 2022. So far, bids on the project have exceeded estimates by 27 percent. Planned projects include code upgrades, repairing HVAC systems, boilers, fire protection systems and other improvements at Lyme Consolidated School, Mile Creek Elementary School, Center School and Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School. At Monday’s meeting, Downes suggested that the scope of that work could be scaled back to bring down costs.
Lyme-Old Lyme School Construction Hit With Higher Costs, Possible Cuts