Board panel warns contractors on delayed school security and audio systems; liquidated damages assessed at Robert Smalls project

The Beaufort County School District operations committee on May 23 reviewed continuing delays on security and audio systems tied to referendum construction projects, including the Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, where the architect has started assessing liquidated damages for missed contractual milestones.

Presenter updates said JE Dunn has not achieved contractual substantial completion at Robert Smalls; the architect has placed the contractor on notice and liquidated damages (reported at $750 per day) began April 24 and will be deducted from the contractor’s final payout or retained against their retainage. Staff said the amount will be taken from amounts otherwise owed when invoices and closeout documentation are processed.

Why it matters: many schools must have PA/intercom, intrusion alarms and camera systems commissioned and tested before teacher training and the start of the school year. Staff said delays risk compressing training windows and could leave systems untested when students return.

Staff described operational steps taken to finish outstanding work: Stagefront, the project’s tech subconsultant, is preparing commissioning reports; Allied Universal was brought in to supplement on-camera labor after a subcontractor was let go; and IT staff are assisting with network and programming issues that have slowed completion. Staff said weekly coordination meetings are scheduled (PA intercom contractor on Mondays; Allied Universal on Thursdays) and that they set internal deadlines (late July) for the contractors’ schedules. If the contractors do not meet commitments, staff said backup options include district-supplemented labor and back-charging contractors before issuing formal notices.

Committee members pressed staff about how liquidated damages will be triggered and collected; staff replied that any amounts owed will be deducted from final payouts and retainage. Staff also clarified that the district considers a combination of successful security spot checks and classroom teacher training as the functional milestone for substantial completion of PA/intercom items.

What’s next: staff said they expect a significant batch of closeouts to move through over the summer and will return updates as commissioning reports and contractor invoices are resolved. The operations committee requested a written timeline of remaining milestones and the status of any withheld retainage.