Clark County board approves Phoenix Academy construction documents, evaluation plans; launches building-naming survey

The Clark County Board of Education on April 15 approved construction documents to move the Phoenix Academy renovation project to the bid phase, adopted revised staff evaluation plans for 2024–25, authorized a public survey to collect name suggestions for the building behind the RDC, and approved a set of change orders for the new Clark County Preschool project.

The actions come after an instructional spotlight on George Rogers Clark High School (GRC) and the Area Technology Center (ATC), and a public comment in which a resident warned that the RDC football field has holes and that students lack adequate athletic equipment. "They're needing mouth guards. It's just a lot of things that they are lacking," said Latoya Gordon during the public-comment period.

Board vote and next steps Board members voted unanimously on multiple items: the certified evaluation plan and the classified evaluation plan for the 2024–25 school year were adopted; the board authorized staff to release a community survey seeking names for the building behind the RDC (the site currently referred to as the old ATC/Technology Building); and construction documents for the Phoenix Academy renovations were approved, allowing the district to publish bid documents and begin the bidding process this month. The board also approved a package of change orders for the new Clark County Preschool project.

Phoenix Academy renovation: scope and schedule District-contracted architect Brian Buckner told the board the renovation work will focus first on elements that must be completed over the summer, including restroom expansion and upgrades to water and sanitary lines. Buckner said the project team consolidated the design-development and construction-document phases to accelerate bidding and construction. The timeline Buckner presented calls for a pre-bid meeting on May 8, a bid opening on May 24, and (contingent on a successful low bid) board consideration of award on May 28 so work can begin while students are out for the summer.

Buckner described the work as including remodeled vocational lab spaces to house STEM programming and the Cardinal Virtual Academy (CVA), expanded restrooms in the main lobby, four new offices, additional storage, and a substantial HVAC and lighting renovation. He also said contractors will be asked to price alternates, such as replacement of the building windows and upgraded door hardware, so the district has flexibility when evaluating bids.

BG-1 cost estimates and increase The board reviewed a revised BG-1 (initial project budget form) that reflects higher construction estimates than the original package. Buckner said the increase is driven in part by the need to upsize the water line and replace a failing sanitary line, and by the decision to extend interior classroom walls to the roof deck for load and acoustic reasons. The updated estimate in the documents presented is "just over $2,000,000," with a targeted construction budget used for bidding of about $1,783,000; the remainder of the total reflects soft costs, contingency and fees.

Instructional spotlight: GRC and ATC data Luke Toye and Coy Hall presented the district’s college- and career-readiness data for George Rogers Clark High School and the ATC. Highlights provided to the board included: - 531 students enrolled in AP courses at GRC; 441 students enrolled in dual-credit courses on campus and 97 students enrolled in dual credit at BCTC (Bluegrass Community and Technical College). Toye said 12 GRC students were on track to graduate with an associate degree before high school graduation based on partnerships with BCTC, Morehead State University and EKU. - At the ATC, the presenters reported 782 students enrolled, 203 enrolled in dual credit through BCTC, 218 concentrator students (students who completed two or more pathway classes), and 97 industry certifications awarded to seniors in recent assessments. The ATC reported a postsecondary-readiness rate that had risen from about 60% to 73% in the most recent reporting period.

Public comment: RDC athletics and equipment shortages During public comment, Latoya Gordon (who identified herself as speaking for student-athletes) said the RDC football field has holes and remains unplayable after recent rain, forcing teams to practice off the field. She also said parents have purchased pants and other items because the RDC program lacks enough equipment and that the team has been borrowing helmets from GRC. Gordon asked the district to investigate field safety and equipment availability; no formal board action was recorded on that request during the meeting.

Preschool project change orders District representatives presented a batch of change orders for the new Clark County Preschool. Construction-manager representatives said the preschool project is roughly 70% complete and that the accumulated change orders total less than 1% of the contract value. The board approved the change-order package 5–0.

Other routine approvals and administration The board approved consent items and staffing allocations as presented for the coming year, and adopted the district calendar after brief discussion. A district official noted bus fleet replacement needs and recommended purchasing buses now to save an estimated roughly $100,000 compared with waiting, but the transcript does not record a formal vote approving the six-bus purchase during this meeting.

What the board directed staff to do - Release a stakeholder survey to gather name suggestions for the building behind RDC and return results for board consideration. - Proceed to publish bid documents for the Phoenix Academy renovation, host a pre-bid walkthrough, and return a low-bid recommendation to the board for approval.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes for March 26 (regular) and March 27 (special): motion carried (voice vote). (mover: Miss Hall on minutes motion as recorded) - Adopt certified evaluation plan 2024–25: approved (voice vote). - Adopt classified evaluation plan 2024–25: approved 5–0. - Begin naming process for the building behind RDC (release survey to stakeholders): motion by Mr. Rubens, second by Mr. Ben; approved 5–0. - Approve district calendar for next two years (extended calendar item discussed): approved 5–0. - Approve construction documents for Phoenix Academy building renovations (BG A/contract docs) to proceed to bid: approved 5–0. - Review of revised BG-1 (project budget) for Phoenix Academy was discussed in detail (cost increases explained); the board received the revised BG-1 for consideration as part of the construction package. - Approve change orders for the new Clark County Preschool project: motion by Mr. Bennett, second by Miss Paul; approved 5–0.

Ending Board members praised staff and district partners for instructional results and construction progress. Staff said they will bring back bid results, the compiled naming-survey responses, and any additional budget forms required by KDE (Kentucky Department of Education) at future meetings. Public concerns about athletic-field safety and equipment shortages at RDC were noted and recorded in the meeting minutes for follow-up by district staff.