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Morgan County Schools board hears capital-outlay construction updates; $750,000 withheld on Union Hill project
Summary
District staff reported progress and remaining work on multiple school construction projects, including accessibility fixes at Union Hill, HVAC and wheelchair lift delays at Danville High School, turf installation hold at Priceville, and site work at Brewer High School.
Morgan County Schools staff updated the school board on the status of five active construction projects, saying some sites are nearly complete while others remain delayed by accessibility fixes, supplier hold-ups and site-grading disputes.
District facilities lead Mr. Elliott told the board the district is "still holding $750,000 on them and we haven't turned loose [much] money because they're still not finished," referring to work at Union Hill. He said flooring is finished at Union Hill but contractors must correct several Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) issues, including toilet- and barrier-related partitions, before the district will schedule a final acceptance inspection.
The superintendent said the district expects to transition students into the junior-high building around fall break or Thanksgiving and described the capital-outlay program as a multi-year effort covering schools across the county. "When we're creating new environments, we're thinking about student learning, teachers being able to teach, and then also the community gets real excited and proud of their schools," she said.
Key project details and outstanding work described to the board:
- Union Hill: Flooring is complete; ADA toilet- and partition-related fixes remain; the district is withholding $750,000 until outstanding items are finished and a final inspection can be scheduled.
- Procter (junior high): Staff said the building is nearly ready, furniture has been delivered (some still staged for inspections), ceiling tiles remain out because above-ceiling systems are unfinished and the district is scheduling the final closeout once punch-list work is done.
- Priceville (baseball/softball/phase 2): Priceville's phase 2 work — including turf installation — is on hold while the contractor for the turf (referred to as "game day") awaits acceptable fine grading. One contractor asserted the site met specifications; another disagreed, prompting civil-engineer involvement. Staff said game-day installation is paused until grading meets certified specifications.
- Brewer High School fields and general campus work: Crews are pouring slabs and footers for baseball and softball; the district reported an unplanned need to relocate about 1,500 feet of a waterline to make way for the storm-drain system. District staff also said paving planned this summer was postponed because construction traffic risked damaging new pavement; the funds remain in place for later work.
- Danville High School (football upgrades, press box): The district reported a partial state inspection passed for bleachers and the press box; however, the concession stand remained unusable because an HVAC system and the wheelchair lift had not been installed. Facilities staff said the HVAC unit was scheduled for delivery the next day and that the wheelchair lift, ordered in January, remained roughly two weeks out because of supplier delays.
Superintendent remarks and future planning: The superintendent listed additional capital-outlay priorities for 2026, including HVAC and roofing work at multiple high schools, funding and drawings for bleachers and concession stands, playground fencing for STAR programs, parking and paving projects at several elementary and middle schools, greenhouse pads, and potential replacement or new buildings for some campuses. She told the board the district will defer some projects or staging until other projects are closed out and emphasized coordination to minimize disruption during the school year.
The board heard several logistical notes: suppliers' lead times affected completion dates (the superintendent and staff repeatedly described equipment shipments as the main source of delay), civil-engineering certification was needed before turf installers could begin at Priceville, and the district will schedule additional punch-list meetings to try to complete remaining items prior to formal final inspections.
Ending
Board members did not take a vote on funding realignments during the update; staff said individual projects will return to the board for formal actions as required. Several items listed in the superintendent's capital-outlay summary were described as planning-stage or contingent on approvals and funding; the superintendent said the full capital-outlay presentation will be provided in a public setting to promote transparency.
