Board approves Summit Campus design development documents for new middle and high schools

The Appoquinimink School District Board of Education on Sept. 9 approved design development bid documents for the Summit Campus middle and high school project, a major capital project funded by a district referendum.

The board's vote cleared a roughly two-thirds design package so the district can move drawings to the state for review and then complete construction documents in coming months.

Why it matters: The project, approved by voters in last year's referendum, is a multi-building campus that will add capacity and shared facilities (a performing arts center and a field house) intended to serve anticipated district growth.

What designers and staff described - Architect and construction staff said the campus plan places a middle school, a three-story high school and a shared performing arts center around a central green. The high school will be three stories to conserve site footprint and create a more compact building. - The design package shows a shared kitchen serving both cafeterias, an 800-seat auditorium and a 100-seat black-box theater, athletic locker rooms and a stadium with an integrated field house and a small separate concessions/visitor building for smaller events. - Project team members said the site work bid is already out and the design-development documents will go to the state Department of Facilities Management (DFM) for review; the team expects to complete construction documents in winter and go to bid in spring.

Funding and approvals Board members and staff reiterated that the project is funded through a referendum passed last year and that the project budget in the referendum totaled about $239 million for the major capital package; the board's presentation also referenced an additional elementary school project that was part of the referendum program.

Board discussion and vote Board members asked about process, state review and the construction funding formula used by the Department of Education. Architect and staff described the Ed-spec-driven design process, how shared spaces reduce duplicated square footage and how the project will proceed through DFM. The board voted to approve the design development bid documents; the motion passed without recorded opposition.

Implementation notes - Staff said DFM must approve the design documents and the district will refine construction documents and pricing; the team noted contingencies and existing budgeted contingencies are intended to cover routine change orders. - Project manager Keith Hopkins and the architects said additional change orders (for demolition, asbestos abatement and site logistics) were submitted separately for approval at the same meeting and were approved by the board.

Ending District staff said they will continue to brief the board as documents go to DFM, construction documents are finished and bids are received. The board underscored the need to track material lead times, weather and cost pressures and said it expects continued public updates as the project progresses.