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District begins feasibility study and RFP process for Cliff school replacement; feasibility meetings set
Summary
Superintendent Will Hawkins said the district submitted projects to the Public Schools Finance Authority, opened the RFP process for Cliff school planning with proposals due April 9, and scheduled a multi-meeting feasibility study that will examine consolidation options and building reuse.
Superintendent Will Hawkins briefed the board on the district’s bond- and capital-project pipeline and a feasibility study focused on school consolidation and the Cliff Schools replacement project.
Hawkins said the district submitted several projects to the Public School Capital Outlay process, including a Harrison roof project, fire alarm upgrades and the Cliff Schools replacement. For Cliff the district held a walk-through attended by multiple vendor teams; Hawkins said RFPs for planning and design are due April 9 and the RFP committee expects to evaluate proposals on April 14 and narrow finalists for April 22 presentations.
Hawkins described the likely reuse and retention scenarios: the Rock Building and the Administration Building (which houses main offices and the main gym) are initially expected to remain, but the Rock Building would not house students once a replacement Cliff campus opens. He said renovations that would exceed 65% of a building’s value could change whether PSFA would fund renovation versus replacement.
Nut graf: The district is advancing a two-track process—architect selection via RFP for the Cliff replacement, and a district-wide feasibility study to evaluate consolidation and repurposing options—that will produce recommendations to the board in May.
Hawkins outlined feasibility study logistics: the first study meeting is set for Wednesday (08:30–11:30), with follow-ups on April 23 and May 8 and a final meeting May 20; the feasibility committee will then present recommendations to the board. The study will examine consolidation scenarios across all campuses including one- or two-campus models, grade banding, classroom utilization, and operating and overhead costs. Hawkins cautioned that if more than three board members attend feasibility meetings they will be posted as public meetings to avoid quorum issues.
Board members asked whether consolidation would preserve staff and classroom ratios. Hawkins said consolidation aims to reduce building overhead while maintaining teacher staffing levels required for students. He emphasized the study will assess class sizes, building condition and long-term cost-efficiency before any closure or reconfiguration decisions.
Ending: The RFP deadline and feasibility-meeting calendar place deliverables on an accelerated schedule; Hawkins said the district will bring recommendations to the board after the committee completes its work. No final decisions were made at the March 31 meeting.
