Baldwin County schools plan $42 million refresh of five high schools; board approves architect contracts

Baldwin County Board of Education members heard a schematic presentation June 17 on a planned capital refresh of five county high schools and approved architectural contracts to move the designs forward.

The superintendent said the district plans to use $34,200,000 from the state’s one-time “advancement in technology” funds and to supplement that with roughly $8 million to $10 million in local funds, producing an estimated total of about $42,000,000 for renovations at Baldwin County High School, Daphne High School, Fairhope High School, Robertsdale High School and Foley High School.

The presentation was delivered by Sewell McKee of the Latham & McKee firm, who described schematic work for front‑of‑school parking and circulation changes, reconfigured security vestibules, repurposed media centers, new counselor suites, nurse suites with bathrooms, breakout rooms and updated cafeterias. McKee said the library/media spaces are being redesigned as “21st‑century learning environments” rather than closed stacks, and emphasized that “you’re not closing any of your libraries. You’ll still have a fully functioning media center.”

Why it matters: the projects combine safety, student support spaces and modernized dining and learning areas across multiple campuses built between 1989 and 1994, and will affect site circulation and construction phasing at several high schools.

Key details from the presentation and board discussion: - Funding: superintendent presentation estimated $34,200,000 from the state advancement-in-technology allocation plus $8–10 million in local supplements, yielding an approximate $42 million program for the five schools. - Scope highlights: new or reconfigured drop‑off and parking areas to reduce vehicles backing into pedestrian paths; locked security vestibules with transaction windows; expanded counselor suites and breakout rooms for itinerant staff; dedicated nurse suites with sick/well separation and bathrooms; and modern, flexible cafeteria designs with data and power for student work after lunch. - School‑specific notes: Baldwin County High — add about 74 front parking spaces, new security vestibule, corridor cut through the center to relieve hallway pressure; Daphne and Foley share similar plans with dedicated counselor lobbies and the possibility for future classroom conversions; Fairhope — reworked front plaza and an estimated 76 parking spaces in front green space; Robertsdale — new cafeteria to the rear, band room and gym under construction and to be occupied after final inspections. - Timeline: design work for all sites will proceed in parallel; Foley’s cafeteria was identified as the most construction‑ready site. The architect said interior work was targeted to begin January 2026, with some parking/site packages possibly starting earlier depending on board direction. - Next steps and approvals: the board approved the owner/architect contracts on tonight’s agenda; formal contractor selections and bids will return to the board for award and final scope approvals.

Board action: the board approved a motion to contract with McKee & Associates for architectural services on the projects. The motion to approve the contracts was made from the board table, seconded, and carried by voice vote.

The presentation emphasized that the schematic designs are conceptual and subject to change as design development and construction documents are completed. The superintendent and architects said individual project phasing and contractor bids will be brought back to the board before construction award.

Ending: If the board continues with the timeline discussed, design work will move forward this summer and the district expects to begin visible construction activity at the earliest site in January 2026. The district intends to return to the board for contractor awards and any required budget amendments as bids and final estimates are developed.