Facilities report: Cross Prairie K‑8, AAA high school, OXA, Reedy Creek and transportation facilities advance

Chief Facilities Officer Dave Sharma told the Osceola County School Board on March 25 that the district’s major construction projects are moving forward, with several targeted openings and operational milestones over the next 12–24 months.

Cross Prairie K‑8: Sharma said Cross Prairie K‑8 is on schedule to open in May, with furniture, fixtures and equipment ordered. “We are paving. The track is already built and operational,” he said, and described interior finishes and IT infrastructure work underway.

High school AAA: Sharma said the AAA high‑school project experienced delays tied to wetlands permitting and an Army Corps of Engineers permit but that crews have recovered the schedule and the district is on track for a May 2026 opening. “The rules being built on pretty much every building with the exception of the cafeteria and the gym,” he said, adding roofing and interior work are progressing.

Transportation facilities: The East Osceola Transportation and Operations facility has reached substantial completion, staff have moved in, and the district is testing fueling and bus‑wash systems. Sharma said the intent is to begin running some buses from the Michigan Avenue compound in May and move to full deployment for the next school year in a phased approach; he said route restructuring will separate central, east and west routes to reduce split routes. West Osceola Transportation and Operations foundations are complete and the building erection will start soon; the project requires a bridge over about 20 feet of wetlands, and staff quoted an April 2026 completion target.

OXA and Reedy Creek: Sharma said work at OXA (the Osceola arts campus) is “aggressively” underway; a new classroom building is expected by the end of the calendar year, allowing removal of portables. Reedy Creek Elementary is a new school planned for roughly 948 student stations; earthwork and site preparation are underway.

Boardroom renovation and meetings: The boardroom in the district office will be reoriented and upgraded to improve streaming and camera coverage. Sharma told the board construction is scheduled to start June 15 and that the board intends to meet in Gateway High School’s auditorium while work proceeds, with the goal of returning to the renovated boardroom by the Nov. 18 board meeting.

Other operational notes: Sharma said the district has reduced leased portables overall (119 leased across the district; 27 are temporary at OXA) and that many recent projects have targeted HVAC upgrades, roof replacements and safety upgrades such as secure lobbies, fire‑alarm work and cameras. He also described a facilities‑condition assessment consultants’ plan to create a software‑linked inventory to better forecast scopes and budgets.

Ending: The board did not take formal votes at the workshop; staff answered board questions about traffic stacking and pick‑up/drop‑off capacity, local vendor outreach and procurement outreach events planned for the summer.