The Hopkinton School Committee on April 17 approved a package of technology purchases for the Hopkins School addition and discussed several project budget priorities, including a temporary kitchen for the five‑month transition period, design work for a loop‑road repair, and the possible relocation of a modular classroom from Elmwood.

The committee voted unanimously to authorize vendor purchases of $150,099 for equipment and related services tied to Hopkins and to transfer funds to cover E‑Rate purchases of $35,325.60. Committee members said the purchases were split between items funded from the Hopkins project technology budget and items tied to construction transition costs.

The discussion placed special emphasis on protecting recently purchased network hardware during construction, procuring projectors and projector installation by the manufacturer (to ensure a single point of responsibility), and using the state E‑Rate program where eligible. Chris (staff member presenting the project) described the vendor packages and explained the recommendation to acquire projector installation as a sole‑source service to avoid future warranty and compatibility issues.

Nut graf: The votes and consensus positions are part of an ongoing Hopkins School construction and renovation project. Committee members said the project remains under budget overall, and the near‑term decisions are intended to manage construction risks and student service continuity as the addition opens in February 2026 and the existing cafeteria and gym are closed for transition work.

Committee members debated how to feed students during the transition and whether to secure a temporary kitchen now. Project staff presented a rough full‑cost estimate of about $380,000 to provide a kitchen trailer, hookups, loose equipment and a small contingency for the five‑month period when Hopkins will lack an in‑building kitchen. Because vendor availability is limited for units sized to serve Hopkins' meal volumes, the committee authorized an initial budget of $130,000 to secure the vendor/lease and mobilization so the unit would not be rented by another client. Presenters said the initial mobilization/lease payment would be roughly $60,000 of that amount and that committing early would lock the unit while the committee completes final approvals.

On site infrastructure, the committee asked the design team to prepare proposals for a loop‑road rehabilitation. Presenters described three options: a thin overlay, complete reconstruction including drainage, and a middle option with a full‑depth pave of the roadway and sidewalks but not the adjacent parking surface. The estimated planning and permitting cost is about $150,000; the construction phase is preliminarily estimated at about $1.2 million, for a rough total near $1.45 million. Staff said the work crosses wetlands and will require permitting; construction would be staged for summer 2026.

Members also discussed using remaining project contingency to relocate a four‑classroom modular from Elmwood to Hopkins after Elmwood closes. The relocation has been a placeholder in earlier plans; staff said moving the modular as part of the Hopkins authorization could avoid a separate Town Meeting article later. Presenters did not authorize the modular relocation at this meeting but said it is a near‑term option to watch as contingency and change‑order risk evolve.

The administration reported overall project budget metrics showing a $52.4 million project authorization, about $45.4 million in committed contracts, and roughly $11.6 million spent to date. Staff said roughly $5.3 million remained in committed but unspent construction contingency and contract underruns, plus additional uncommitted contingency; they estimated conservative project risk at about $2.1 million (a ballpark figure based on expected change‑order exposure and other allowances). Committee members asked for continuing updates and for proposals before any larger commitments beyond the $130,000 initial kitchen authorization.

Ending: Project staff will seek design proposals for the loop road and return to the committee with firm costs before construction funding is committed. Staff said they will also continue to track change‑order risk, tariff exposure on furniture/equipment and unspent allowances that could be reallocated toward the modular relocation or other capital needs.