District staff brief board on Matthews Elementary assessment, land purchases and site surveys for athletics

Assistant superintendent for operations Dr. Gooch reported ongoing facilities work tied to the district's planning for a possible April bond and improvements at Matthews Elementary. Architects Hollis & Miller have conducted a LIDAR 3-D scan of Matthews to create a top-down Matterport-style model showing building layout and exterior site context. Dr. Gooch said the scan helps visualize internal adjacencies and how the building functions compared with other elementaries.

The district recently closed on three parcels adjacent to the Matthews campus at the east end of the property; one parcel still has tenants and was not scanned. Hollis & Miller have met with special-education staff to discuss space standards and to ensure expanded or renovated facilities accommodate high-needs special-education classrooms. Staff said that, as Matthews needs are defined, administrators will compare those needs to other elementaries to ensure districtwide equity of special-education programming.

Dr. Gooch said a separate site survey and evaluation will be completed for the North Middle School campus to consider middle-school outdoor athletic facilities; that survey is scheduled by the end of the calendar year and will examine slopes, terrain and best layout options. Construction manager engagement (Newkirk Novak identified as the expected partner) and associated preconstruction costs were discussed; Hollis & Miller has begun invoicing for its early work.

Speakers in this presentation included Dr. Gooch and consultants from Hollis & Miller; the board discussed sequencing and funding in the context of the draft bond language.