Palmer High master plan: board hears update on $100 million phased project; groundbreaking set for May 12

District 11 leaders and project partners presented an update on the Palmer High School master plan at a work session, reporting the first phase is on schedule and within the project budget and announcing a community open house April 22, a groundbreaking scheduled for May 12 and a target for board approval of the master plan on May 14.

Superintendent Gaurav opened the presentation, thanking the steering committee, students and community for input, and asked trustees to review both the technical phasing and the renderings. Dr. Wise, who led much of the project work, said the plan reflects more than 30,000 community touchpoints and that students have been actively involved in shaping the library and commons spaces.

Design and construction partners — Doug Abernathy of RTA Architecture; Chris Meek of Adolphson & Peterson; and Omar Calderon and Gabriela Bermea of Perkins Eastman — presented renderings showing a three- to four-story academic wing on the east side of campus (phase 1a), renovation of the historic 1939 building, limited work on the 1968 building to enable phasing, and future athletics work (phase 1b and later phases). The team described work…