District presents revised school designs, schedules informational sessions ahead of possible March 2026 ballot

Architects and the district's construction manager presented revised designs and updated cost estimates Tuesday for a new three-story middle school and additions at the district's elementary schools, and district leaders told the Board of Education they will hold community information sessions this fall before the board decides in December whether to place a funding measure on the March 2026 ballot. "We have been having a number of meetings to talk about our updated renderings," Doctor Woodland said as the presentation opened. Ed Wright of DLA Architects said the teams have worked to "right size" building elements and to refine plans so program needs are retained while reducing square footage in nonessential areas. Josh, the district's construction manager, said his firm came on in June and has been developing a granular cost estimate using current market pricing and bid-alternate strategy to preserve flexibility. Heather, the design lead from DLA, walked the board through site and floor plans, saying the middle school has been flipped on the site, is shown as a three-story building and retains required storm-shelter space. She said designers trimmed or removed large "hub" commons to save square footage while keeping classrooms, science labs, a full-service kitchen to serve the elementary schools, a competition gym with a stage, library space and areas requested by the district's historical society. The presentation emphasized several program and timeline points: - Middle school shown as three stories with storm-shelter area; rooftop outdoor-learning space is possible. - Designers reduced overall square footage largely by eliminating or shrinking communal "hub" spaces, not by cutting classrooms or core program areas; the team noted the total building size was about 124,000 square feet in an earlier iteration and was reduced by trimming hubs. - The construction manager said bids and "alternates" will be used so options (for example, restored hub space or upgraded finishes) can be added or removed depending on competitive pricing. - The team is accounting for escalation, material-market fluctuations and a contingency for unforeseen items; detailed budgets for each building and for a middle-school-only option were presented. The district scheduled two public informational sessions in October and November for community members and parents; the first session is planned for Oct. 8 at Central. District staff told the board they expect to return in December with a recommendation about placing a ballot question in March 2026. No formal board action on design or funding occurred at the meeting. The architects and construction manager said the designs and cost estimates remain conceptual and will continue to be refined as design details and bid packages are completed. "As the design gets more detailed, we continue to update this budget," Josh said, describing the iterative process and how bid alternates produce competitive pricing on discrete packages. Board members pressed for clarity about what was cut and what remains; officials repeatedly said classrooms, science labs and core program areas have not been removed. Heather emphasized that the most significant savings came from reducing large flexible "hub" areas rather than classroom counts. The district said construction is anticipated to occur later in 2026 into 2027, contingent on schedule, bids and final approvals. The next steps identified were community informational meetings this fall, continued design and cost refinement, and a December board decision on whether to put a funding question on the March 2026 ballot.