The renovation plans for Colony Oak School have not yet reached the design phase.

“We have the dollars set aside,” said Khushroo Gheyara, who is chief executive officer for Program Management Integration at last week’s Ripon Unified school board meeting.

Trustees approved the hiring of CT Brayton & Sons, Inc., as part of the lease-lease back plan, to handle the pre-construction services for the voter-approved Measure M project.

The Escalon general contractor was already aboard for Weston School, which is the other part of the modernization project. The school will be closed for the 2014-15 school year for construction and is scheduled for reopening by July 2015.

Plans call for work on Colony Oak to follow.

CT Brayton, architect Tim Huff & Associate and PMI make up the group handling the construction, design and financing of the public school facilities for the two projects.

According to the two recent expenditure reports, $10.4 million is being allocated for Weston and Colony Oak.

Of that, Weston has used $746,000 for surveying ($6,275), architect / engineering fees ($485,500), preliminary tests ($12,200), legal fees ($323) and other operating costs / expenses ($181,000).

Over $15,000 was spent to cover the Colony Oak architect / engineering fees. “We’ve already done a lot of work here,” Gheyara said.

About a year ago, the district sold about $15.3 million of Measure G general obligation bonds to pay off the school farm, begin reconstruction on Weston, and develop plans for Colony Oak.

The Weston plans are currently under review by the state Division of Architect. The PMI team can initiate the bidding process that, under the lease-lease back, would not exceed a specified amount as specified under the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) as early as next month.

Board approval is necessary for the GMP in order for construction to begin this summer.