District updates on high-school design, stadium and aquatic center timelines; zoning and punch-list work ongoing

A facilities report to the Kennel County School District Board of Trustees covered multiple projects, project timelines and next steps, with staff noting construction milestones and pending state reviews.

A staff member identified as Mr. Hartley gave the update. For the new high school design, he said the district will meet with the State Facility Division (SFD) to review square-footage allocations and to maximize state funding under revised guidelines; he said the design allows for future additions of up to 16 classrooms (10 on the west end, 6 on the east) if enrollment growth requires it. Hartley said the district will examine career-technical education space and consider internal renovations to existing buildings to improve program efficiency.

On the stadium, Hartley said the 35 percent design documents were submitted to the SFD and their value-engineering team; the district hopes to complete stadium documents in November, bid in December and break ground in February with a target completion for fall 2026. For the main high school building, Hartley said 10 percent value-engineering documents may be submitted to the state soon, with a projected ground-breaking in October 2026 and an anticipated move-in in August 2028; demolition of the existing stadium and related parking work would follow, with full project substantial completion in August 2029.

The aquatic center project is underway: tile and deck work were in progress, a movable pool floor had arrived and installation was scheduled to begin. The district completed emergency repairs to a water-main break and planned additional evening cleaning and duct work, with air-quality testing set for the coming week.

Hartley also reported transportation facility design at roughly 35 percent complete, and said initial cost estimates indicate the district is within funding expectations for a project estimated near $8 million. Zoning changes for nearby parcels (from R-1 to R-2) are also underway to consolidate the high-school site and provide flexibility for school use.

Trustees asked about sequencing and the impact on parking and student drivers in phased construction. Hartley said the district will stagger construction and demolition activities to manage student parking and traffic and will return with further details as designs and state reviews progress.