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Pelham board outlines Siwonoy bond timeline, recommends site-plan advisory committee
Summary
Trustees received a bond-steering update detailing design work and staging for district capital projects, with the superintendent recommending a standing site-plan advisory committee to engage neighbors about the Siwonoy project and construction impacts.
Board members updated the district on work underway for projects approved in the May bond and signaled a stepped design and permitting timeline for multiple campuses.
Superintendent (speaking during the meeting) said community engagement has already started: "We held a Siwonoy Neighbor Coffee as part of our engagement process for planning for implementation of the capital bond that was passed last May," and recommended the board "establish a site plan advisory committee" to give neighbors and stakeholders a continuing forum for design input and construction logistics.
Board members described preliminary technical work: internal laser scanning of the three elementary schools and site surveying at Siwonoy to produce precise 3D models for design. The board expects design development at the Siwonoy site to move from early schematic stages toward a 60% design level during the school year, with the goal of submitting plans to the State Education Department for permitting. Prospect Hill and Colonial elementaries are advancing infrastructure-focused design and could proceed with work sooner (state permitting permitting allowing), while Siwonoy remains the most complex project and is currently scheduled for the earliest construction start in spring 2027.
The board also discussed staging to avoid closing all campuses simultaneously during summer months so that recreation and other programs can continue by shifting locations.
The superintendent said the site-plan advisory committee would include neighbors, recreation representatives and school staff, and would function as an ad-hoc forum during the design and early-construction phases. Board members asked staff to continue to provide monthly steering updates and to circulate FAQs and engagement opportunities to immediate neighbors.
What's next
Bond steering will continue meeting monthly; the board will receive regular updates and staff will include community questions and answers in forthcoming bond communications.
