Superintendent Doctor Collins told the Board of Education on Aug. 14 that the district’s school renovation projects are approaching completion and that staff will provide campus tours at upcoming meetings. Emerson’s punch list work is underway and teachers are moving into spaces; Washington and Lincoln also have substantial work finished, with Lincoln described as having been “gutted all the way down to the core” and extensively rebuilt. Collins said the district will present walkthroughs at September and October board meetings and that Field School will be the focus of a February meeting once turnover is complete.

Collins described several remaining items that could delay final occupancy for particular rooms: lockers awaited delivery, some whiteboards (which double as projector screens) were on back order, and a few doors remained temporary until replacements arrive. The superintendent explained that in some cases abatement and unexpected conditions extended schedules — “there were a couple of situations where it was like, if you don't abate this, it's fine. But if you are gonna abate it, it's a whole month of work,” Collins said — and that Field School had the most remaining work and heat‑index challenges for crews who worked in hot conditions.

The superintendent praised maintenance, facilities, technology and construction teams for extended hours and weekend shifts to prepare buildings. “By the time students start, there are gonna be some of our maintenance team that will have worked straight for about 15 days in a row,” Collins said, and singled out new facilities director Mike Browning and staff members Chris and Matt for specific thanks. Technology staff were also noted for backfilling audiovisual and network installations as spaces became available.

Collins cautioned that some work will be scheduled around non‑attendance days and that small items may require patience from staff and families; she also said all FOIA requests had been completed and that a more comprehensive construction update will be presented at the September meeting along with facility walkthroughs. No formal board actions were taken on construction during the meeting; the superintendent’s remarks were recorded as an informational update.