Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District updates bond projects; Wellman STEAM Academy opens midyear, punch-list work continues
Summary
District staff updated the board on the May 2023 bond program: two new campuses have opened (Jimmy Ray and Wellman STEAM Academy), work continues on a third elementary site and the second comprehensive high school, and some recent construction fixes and punch-list items were reported.
District facilities director presented the May 2023 bond construction update at the board meeting (date not specified), reporting progress on the three bond propositions and recent site issues.
The May 2023 bond included three propositions: Proposition A (three new elementary schools and junior-high remodels and land for future sites), Proposition B (a second comprehensive high school), and Proposition C (facility upgrades). Under Prop A, Jimmy Ray Elementary opened August 2024 and Wellman STEAM Academy opened in January 2025; the third elementary (referred to in bond documents as Elementary 11) is planned as "Frankie Loujette" pending land acquisition. Proposition B yielded the district's second comprehensive high school, identified in the update as Walter Dew Creek High School. Prop C covers facility upgrades across the district.
Project updates included construction corrections at Jimmy Ray: the gym floor was replaced over the Christmas break after district staff determined it was not performing to expectations, and kitchen drain areas required concrete correction. The presenter reported that the STEAM Academy move required 12 truckloads of crates and boxes and that punch-list items remain but are narrowing. He stated the STEAM build is likely to come in under budget by approximately $2,500,000, and emphasized that the district did not cut required items to achieve that savings.
District staff did not present a final completion date for Elementary 11; land acquisition for that site was described as ongoing. The board received the update and no formal board action was recorded during the presentation.
