Newfields group to present pared-down campus safety and parking plans, with bond option

A Newfields School District planning group agreed Thursday to present two campus redesign concepts to the school board on Oct. 2, recommending a smaller, immediate plan while keeping a larger phased option if pric­ing allows.

The recommendation follows months of work on layouts that would move bus and visitor traffic to the rear of the school, relocate the crosswalk and ramp, remove one front stairwell, add or reconfigure parking (including designated handicap and visitor spaces), and improve pedestrian safety between the parking area and the school.

The smaller option, referred to in the meeting as Plan A, is estimated by the group's consultant to cost about $300,000 in construction; participants said approximately $100,000 already appears in the current school budget, leaving roughly $200,000 to fund. The group discussed an expanded Plan B that would add paving or other site work and could raise the total to a level several participants later described as in the $500,000–$600,000 range depending on final scope and sitework needs. The group did not take any formal vote; members instructed staff and consultants to confirm line‑item pricing before Thursday.

Why it matters: the plans aim to reduce interactions between children and…