Janesville School District outlines phased plan to implement $151.9 million referendum work

Janesville School District officials and their contractors presented the board with a staged plan to design and build work financed through the district’s recent capital referendum, saying the projects will be delivered in three phases and grouped into three bid packages.

At the Jan. 14 board meeting, Tory Schultz of Upside Yoon and Mike Johnson of JP Collin described a schedule that begins with design documentation for an initial group of six buildings in 2025, bidding in January 2026 and construction for that first group extending roughly through the summer of 2027. "We're here to give you an update on where we're at with the overall referendum process," Schultz told the board.

The presentation emphasized an iterative design process—schematic design (SD), design development (DD) and construction documents (CD)—with the district, architects and contractor working through details at each stage. Schultz and Johnson said the core team has been measuring and photographing buildings, inspecting mechanical spaces and preparing engineering documents that will be handed to the contractor at each phase for bidding and construction.

Why it matters: District leaders said phasing the work reduces the burden on staff and spreads construction over multiple years. Board and staff members raised concerns about fairness and community perception when schools with the greatest need were originally placed late in the schedule. The design and construction team revised the packaging to balance need, geographic concerns and dollar value across phases.

Key points from the plan: - The work was divided into three bid packages; the presentation described the first six projects as the initial documentation priority. - The team intends to finish design documentation for bid package 1 by the end of 2025 and start contractor bidding in January 2026, with construction through roughly summer 2027. - The teams factored in constructability, similar floor plans, existing background drawings (where available), and industry capacity during busy summer seasons when many districts run referendums. - The presenters said security work at both high schools and urgent roof repairs are already moving forward in design ahead of other items.

District engagement and communication: Presenters said they will increase principal- and staff-level engagement during the design development phase, holding core-team meetings that include principals, special education and security staff to coordinate schedules and reduce classroom disruption. A board member asked whether monthly board updates would be delivered via memorandum or another vehicle; the contractor said that flow had not yet been finalized and they would work with the core team to determine the method.

Logistics and risks: The team noted that some construction will occur while school is in session and that the district may pursue Department of Public Instruction (DPI) waivers to adjust calendars to create longer summer windows for work. They also said supply-chain conditions have improved since the immediate post‑COVID period but that contractor workload (many districts passing referendums) factors into scheduling and bid pricing.

Board reaction: Commissioners expressed appreciation for the level of detail and for continuing with the same architect/contractor team that had worked with the district on recent projects. Several board members commended plans to consult principals and staff about timing and impacts.

Next steps: The design team will continue documentation for the first bid package in 2025, hand documents to the contractor at the end of the year, and the contractor will prepare bids in early 2026. The core team will continue to share school-specific schedules and engage with principals and affected staff.