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High‑school bond work set to finish for students’ return; district defends tile choice after community questions
Summary
Bond construction staff reported progress across the Ashland High School campus, including finished work in the Humanities Building and roofing and mechanical upgrades in the Science Building. Staff said a value‑engineering tile selection saved about $50,000 and invited board members to inspect finishes on site.
Contractors working on the Ashland High School bond project told the school board they are wrapping up major summer work so students and staff can use renovated spaces when school starts but that some project elements will extend into late 2024.
Bond presenter Mike (last name not given in the transcript) said the Humanities Building has much of its finishing work complete — new doors, painted interior walls, reinstalled grid ceilings, light fixtures and finished trim. The Science Building saw roof work, installation of a new generator and new hydronic lines feeding the building; contractors were able to reuse some underlayment and expect the roof work to be completed soon. Work also started in the gym and English buildings, and a new vault for a transformer for the future chiller was installed on Mountain Avenue.
Nut graf: Most classroom and safety work is on track for students’ return, but the project will continue through December to complete a long‑lead chiller and finish remaining items. Staff asked the board to visit the site to see finishes and the design choices in context.
Tile controversy and value engineering
Board members raised community concerns about a tile selection in parts of the project. The district’s bond program manager described a value‑engineering process that included students, staff and the design team and said choosing the particular tile option saved approximately $50,000. “Ultimately, those particular tiles ended up saving us $50,000 — I think that’s the most important thing to bring to light here,” he said, and invited trustees to walk the buildings so they could “really understand how we got there.” He offered multiple site‑visit times next week.
Mechanical and schedule details
Presenters said some HVAC equipment was retrofitted, other elements replaced, and hydronic trenches and conduits were installed. The chiller for the gym is the longest‑lead item and is not expected until 2025. The team reported minimal structural damage on the Science Building roof and said in several areas reuse of existing insulation produced a cost credit.
Ending
Bond staff said most work is on track for classroom occupancy but that project activity will continue through December. They encouraged board members and community members to inspect finishes in context and noted a timeline and documentation was prepared to explain design decisions around tiles and other value‑engineering choices.
