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District bond team reports campus work under way; state awards $2.5 million seismic grant for Science Building
Summary
Board heard a capital bond update on Ashland High School construction and was told the district received a $2.5 million state grant to fund seismic work on the Science Building; staff outlined sequencing and timing concerns.
District capital‑project staff told the board the bulk of bond construction activity has shifted to Ashland High School and that crews will continue heavy work through the summer.
During the capital bond report, staff disclosed that the State of Oregon awarded the district a $2,500,000 grant for seismic upgrades to the Science Building. District project managers said the award is positive but will require additional design work and schedule coordination: the contract with the state had not been finalized at the time of the meeting, and staff said they expect design and bidding activity to take place over the coming months, with construction likely targeted for a summer window to minimize impacts to students.
Capital staff described ongoing work at the high school: removal of exterior concrete panels on the Mountain Avenue side, interior finish work on the Humanities Building (drywall, painting, mechanical/electrical/plumbing trim), framing and finish work in the Science Building laboratories, and a campus‑wide fire‑alarm upgrade. Staff also warned that newly regraded athletic fields will require an establishment period and likely will not be ready for full use until spring following reseeding.
On the Science Building grant, project staff said the structural engineer's evaluation will inform whether the seismic work requires external shear walls, columns or interior structural bracing; because the Science Building is a complex, accretive collection of additions, staff said some components could involve visible exterior or interior structural work. The staff presentation emphasized the district's plan to prioritize interventions with the largest safety impact and to sequence seismic work to limit disruption to the rest of the bond program.
Project managers said two long‑lead items — an elevator for the Humanities Building and a generator — remain scheduled for delivery, and that elevator installation will run into the calendar year's end. Staff also explained that the state grant expands the district's available funding and may require re‑prioritization of bond work and close cost estimating during the design phase.
District staff thanked the project team members who pursued the grant and said they would bring more detailed project timelines and budget scenarios to the board as the state contract is finalized.
