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Bay District details schematic plans for new Margaret K. Lewis special‑needs school
Summary
At a May 27 Bay District School Board workshop, district staff described schematic design steps, site considerations and rough timelines for a long‑planned special‑needs replacement for Margaret K. Lewis. No formal vote was taken during the workshop.
The Bay District School Board met in workshop on May 27 and heard staff outline schematic‑design progress, site constraints and early cost questions for a proposed new Margaret K. Lewis (MKL) special‑needs school.
District Superintendent (name not specified) opened the discussion by calling the effort “a hallmark moment for the district” as staff and board prepare facilities intended to meet the needs of students with significant support requirements.
The district has engaged DAG Architects and is in schematic design. Lee Walters, identified in the workshop as a district facilities staff member, said the first step is “programming” — defining what belongs inside the building and the specific needs of the MKL student population. Walters told board members the project requires an unusually wide range of stakeholder input — therapists, adaptive‑technology specialists, classroom staff, parents and community volunteers — and that the design team has already been consulting other local special‑needs facilities for lessons learned.
Walters said the district is concentrating on the Saint Andrews / Oakland Terrace site and is reviewing utilities, stormwater, site elevation, circulation and parking. He flagged parking as a major operational need because some students require one‑on‑one aides and specialized equipment. He said district staff are exploring possible partnerships with adjacent municipal parks to provide additional after‑hours parking, but emphasized those ideas remain at the conceptual stage and would need municipal agreement.
On capacity, Walters said MKL currently serves roughly 200 students across multiple locations and that the district is discussing larger designs for future flexibility. “We don't want to build the 200,” he said, adding the team has discussed options that would provide room for expansion up to roughly 300 students, with a theoretical 400‑student option discussed earlier in planning but viewed as likely too large for near‑term needs.
Walters described the near‑term schedule as: (a) a programming/phase‑1 contract for the architect within about two to three weeks; (b) an eight‑to‑12‑month design period that includes stakeholder interviews, schematic and design development; and (c) selection of a construction manager around structural narrative stage to provide early market and cost input. He said best‑case construction could begin within about a year but urged caution, noting special‑needs facilities typically cost more per square foot than conventional schools because of larger spaces per student and built‑in accessibility equipment.
Walters also told the board he would seek permission to begin selective demolition on parts of the Saint Andrews campus as soon as state DOE paperwork (the district referred to it as a “casualty”/demolition approval) is fully signed; that demolition work, he said, could sometimes speed overall delivery if done in parallel with design.
No formal action on MKL was taken at the workshop. Walters and staff said further contract documents, schematic floor plans and construction‑manager recommendations will be brought to the board for formal approval at later meetings.
Ending: District staff described MKL as a complex, multi‑stakeholder build that will move slowly through programming and design development. Board members asked to be kept involved as architects finalize floor plans and the construction manager provides early cost estimates.
