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District updates campus master plan; bus barn design to consider future fuel options
Summary
Superintendent Sawyer updated the board on the elementary school design, construction cost pressures for steel and aluminum, the tech hub renovation and ongoing evaluation of alternate sites for transportation and softball; public comment called for the new bus barn to be built to accommodate alternative fuels from the start.
Superintendent Sawyer provided verbal updates on several campus master-plan projects, including the all-day K–2 elementary school, the tech hub renovation, athletic fields and transportation facilities.
On the elementary school, the district is working with architects on exterior materials and interior design with classroom teachers; the construction manager at-risk (CMR) will return cost estimates next Tuesday. Sawyer warned of recent market increases for steel, aluminum and metal that may raise construction costs and said contractors' bids will give a clearer price next week.
The tech hub renovation is progressing through 3-D CAD modeling and interior program meetings with teachers. Superintendent Sawyer said center columns are structural and will remain but column wraps will be changed to improve sight lines as a second floor is planned.
On transportation, public commenter Martin Combs urged the district to design the new bus barn to accommodate multiple fuel types from the start — diesel, propane, CNG or electric — arguing it would be costly to retrofit later. Combs said neighboring districts have shifted to propane or CNG and some have EV buses; "because you're building the new bus barn, I think it needs to be designed to accommodate what comes next from the beginning," he said.
Sawyer said the district has a diesel fleet and that architects are conducting an analysis with Shore (consultant) to evaluate topology, dual systems and long-term return on investment for alternative fuels, but said a final recommendation was not yet ready.
On athletics and transportation site planning, the district said it is evaluating alternate transportation sites and assessing possible continued development at Bebbleheimer Park for baseball and softball; the district will meet with Joint Parks (Dave Ward) about land use. The board was told baseball and softball remain a priority and that middle-school stadium work will follow once those fields are complete.
Why it matters: decisions about site location, building materials and infrastructure for the transportation hub affect long-term costs, operations and the district’s ability to adopt lower-emission buses.
Next steps: CMR cost estimates for the elementary school are expected next Tuesday; the district will continue site evaluations for transportation and athletics and report back at the April 28 meeting.
