“Everyone is doing what they got to do,” Steve Gothberg said Tuesday of the count down to the opening of school on Aug. 29. He said crews are working to 7 and 8 p.m. and over weekends to get Greenwood and Warwick Neck Schools ready.

Holliman that was also on top of the “get it done in time list” is ready to go.

Gothberg, director of school capital projects and construction, said that Holliman School, which will be undergoing extensive renovations, is ready to operate classes from the Gorton administration building.  But he expects work at Warwick Neck and Greenwood Schools “will go down to the wire.” Contractors are completing installation of an elevator at Warwick Neck. Meanwhile, where the interior of Greenwood “looks like a bomb went off” work is still being done on the roof and boiler room.

“It’s going to be tight,” he said acknowledging that teachers are anxious to get in the school and set up their classrooms. He expects Greenwood furniture will be moved from storage trailers back into the school next week.

Also, he said that work is on schedule for completion at the former Greene School that will become home of the Rhode Island Alternative Academy. Replacement window work at Oakland Beach School will continue after the reopening of school.

The relocation of Holliman furniture was met by double takes last week when the moving firm accused of winning school contracts totaling almost $400,000 without going through competitive bidding was doing the work.

A week ago Monday the School Committee awarded Vito’s Express Inc. of Johnston a $443,000 contract to make the move from Holliman as well as remove furnishings from Drum Rock that will be demolished to make room for a new Toll Gate High School and to replace furnishings that have been in storage trailers to Greenwood School.

Initially Jada Trucking LLC of Warwick that moved the furnishings out of Greenwood was contracted to do the bulk of the jobs. However, the contract was rescinded when Chuck Lamendola, president of Astro of New England, a competing mover, notified the news media the contract was awarded without a competitive bid and Jada lacked the licenses and insurance certificates required to do the work. The School Department retained an attorney to conduct an investigation and at the Mayor Frank Picozzi’s request, the state police initiated their own investigation.

Gothberg was surprised as anybody when he spotted Jada’s yellow truck and Jada crew at work last Thursday. What he learned is that Vito’s subcontracted Jada to do the job. To be sure everything was above board, Gothberg checked with the school department attorney and obtained documentation that Jada had been hired as a subcontractor.

“They did it legally,” Gothberg said. He noted the Jada truck is carrying Vito’s signs.

“We can’t tell who they [Vito’s] can hire or not,” Gothberg added. And while having Jada on the job may be questioned, Gothberg points out the company knows what needs to be done and is familiar with moving furnishings in and out of Gorton.