Board hears multi‑year bond program update; Ammerman cafeteria, Meads Mill and high‑school STEAM work scheduled

Steve Fancio, a district staff member who presented the bond update, summarized work completed in 2024–25 and laid out construction, mechanical and technology projects scheduled through 2028.

The presentation listed completed 2024 projects — turf fields, LED stadium lighting, playground replacements at Ammerman, Thornton Creek and Ridgewood, transportation paving and stadium improvements — and described current and upcoming work. At Ammerman, the district has finished an office addition and playground rough‑in and said it expects to occupy a cafeteria addition in November. At Meads Mill the presentation described a multi‑year renovation that will include a canopy, a STEAM addition, kitchen and cafeteria renovations and a heavy mechanical replacement year beginning in winter and continuing through 2026–2027.

Why it matters: The bond program funds capital projects across the district, from playgrounds to building systems. Presenters emphasized mechanical and HVAC upgrades as a priority tied to health, comfort and climate change planning.

Key details presented

- Ammerman: completed office expansion and playground work; cafeteria addition nearing occupancy; existing cafeteria to be converted to a media center once move is complete. - Meads Mill: multi‑phase project including canopy and STEAM addition; temporary serving areas will be set up (half of the gym) while kitchen/cafeteria work takes place, with significant weekend/second‑shift work planned to reduce schedule risk. - High school: a STEAM addition, auditorium and auditorium A/V upgrades, gym bleacher work, classroom carpet and paint — the high‑school renovation is planned over two summers (2026–27) to allow competitive bids and reduced disruption; bids are due soon with a planned March start for construction. - Moraine and Silver Springs: STEAM additions, cafeteria/kitchen reconfigurations, exterior canopies and HVAC/electrical upgrades; Morris/Moraine will begin construction in mid‑2026 with bids due in late 2025/early 2026. - Roofs: phased roofing work is planned through 2028 for Winchester, Silver Springs, Ridgewood and other sites, sequenced to avoid overwhelming contractors and campus operations. - Technology: Wi‑Fi, interactive panels and a fiber infrastructure rollout were highlighted; phone system and server/network upgrades are scheduled for the coming years. - Mechanical/HVAC: superintendent and staff emphasized replacement of original HVAC systems at older buildings. The presentation said roughly $3 million of about $8 million per building budgeted at Winchester and Silver Springs is dedicated to HVAC infrastructure in each building. - Finance/timing: the administration said the district expects to price the next series of bonds in April 2026 and will track sinking funds and budget variances as the program moves from one series to the next.

Quotes

"I'd like to start off and acknowledge the efforts by our bond team," Steve Fancio said, listing the consultants and vendors supporting the work and urging questions be held until the end of the presentation so the slide deck could flow.

Superintendent Dr. Weber framed mechanical upgrades as a public‑health and climate resilience priority: "We need healthy kids to be able to learn," he said in remarks emphasizing air handling improvements and child health concerns near some school sites.

Questions and concerns raised by board members

Board members asked about lost parking for the high‑school STEAM addition and whether that would be replaced in a subsequent phase; presenters said additional parking had been designed conceptually but was not in the immediate project scope for budget reasons. Board members also pressed on temporary impacts to gyms and community rentals during construction; staff described mitigation plans such as second‑shift work and alternate serving spaces.

Project management and partners

Fancio named the district’s consultant and construction partners on the record: Bach (construction manager), Foresight (athletic‑field design), Small League (civil engineer), Nicole Planters (owner’s representative), TMP (architect of record), Wright Hunter (technology consultant) and Peter Basso (mechanical/electrical engineer).

Ending

Staff said they will return with bid recommendations for large contract awards in November or December and that work will begin on major phases in early 2026. The presentation concluded with a reminder about the bond sale timing in spring 2026 and an invitation for board members to visit active sites during the construction schedule.