Orting bond wins certification vote count; district outlines design, procurement and Sept. 2029 opening target

Superintendent Hatzenbeeler told the Orting School District board that preliminary returns show the district’s school bond passed with 64.63% support and that Pierce County must still certify the election before broader outreach. "64.63% is not the highest percentage, yes, in the state of Washington in 2025, but it is the second highest across 25 bonds ran," Hatzenbeeler said, and staff will wait for the county’s final word before posting videos and wider materials.

The superintendent and staff framed the bond as funding for a new elementary school and substantial Career and Technical Education (CTE) space at the high school. Hatzenbeeler said early steps will include finalizing architect and owner’s-representative agreements and deciding a delivery method. The district has issued or previously issued an RFQ for architects and owner’s representatives and is assessing whether to use GCCM (general contractor/construction manager) or a traditional design-bid-build approach. Hatzenbeeler said GCCM may be advisable given the projects’ complexity across multiple aged buildings on a single campus and the need to sequence construction around existing 50–70-year-old facilities and portables.

Staff said they could bring contracts for architectural services and owners-representative roles to the board as soon as December, and that early team conversations would shape methodology and outreach. The superintendent identified likely early technical work — wetland analysis, traffic analysis and coordination on a planned roundabout — and emphasized community engagement: "part of your public transparency and open communication commitment is to really seek community involvement in oversight as well," he said.

On timing, staff presented a preliminary target of opening the new facility in September 2029 while noting that design decisions and bidding approach could change both cost and schedule. The superintendent added the district will try to reduce costs and improve timelines where possible during the design phase. Next procedural steps include awaiting Pierce County certification, completing early procurements, posting project media after certification, and scheduling community design-input sessions once the district has design partners under contract.