The Pleasant Valley Community School District School Board voted to approve the design development phase for the Pleasant View Elementary renovation and addition, clearing the project to proceed to bidding and final documents. The project design presented calls for a new administrative suite and secure main entrance, an expanded nurse’s office, upgrades to finishes and mechanical systems, and a replacement chiller; total project cost was discussed as approximately $3.9 million for the construction scope presented, with contingency and owner soft costs to be finalized.

Why it matters: The presentation said the new administrative suite will create a controlled entry at the parent drop-off area, increase nurse office capacity “more than three times” current space, and provide a private mothers’ room and a dedicated changing room to support students with mobility needs. The design team said the project aims to preserve the building’s mid-century architectural character while addressing deferred maintenance and operational inefficiencies.

Design and schedule details: Project designers from FRK described a compact addition of administrative space (the colored plan shows a small pink area), interior renovations to administrative and selected classroom spaces, and an alternate bid for replacement of exterior metal panels. The design team said the chiller is nearing the end of its life (about 25 years old), and staff recommended including its replacement as part of this project. Construction is estimated to begin in spring after a November bid selection, with an approximately 17–18 month construction period designed to include two summer work seasons so interior work can occur when students are away.

Budget and procurement notes: The presentation said the bottom-line construction number presented was roughly $3.9 million at that stage, with a reported $200,000 over the earlier estimate driven by the chiller and electrical upgrades; the design team said they would refine owner soft costs and mid-American Energy costs ahead of bidding and that a contingency would be reviewed prior to the next board meeting.

Board action: A motion to approve the design-development documents carried on a roll-call vote. The transcript records roll-call “yes” responses from board members present during the vote.

Operational impacts and clarifications: Designers said the new entry would reorient the public approach to the west side of the building, improve property screening with exterior shades and interior roller shades, and move some current administrative functions into the addition to free up renovated space elsewhere. Designers also said overhead electrical lines across the playground would be moved underground as part of electrical updates, and noted the project team plans to remove an unused brick chimney and repurpose that basement wall area for electrical equipment associated with the new chiller.

What’s next: The district will receive final bid documents in October, go out to bid in November, and bring contract recommendations back to the board after the bid period. The design team asked the district for continued feedback during the document-finalization phase and said they would present updated cost confirmations at the October meeting.