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District construction update: West Hardin Middle School on schedule; Child Nutrition Center and new elementary advancing
Summary
Weir Constructors reported West Hardin Middle School remains on schedule for an April 2027 completion and includes a state-required storm shelter. The district also received progress updates on the Child Nutrition Center and plans for a new elementary school expected to start in 2026.
Project managers for the district’s construction program gave progress updates at the board meeting, reporting that key projects remain on track and describing site work, schedules and regulatory constraints.
Justin Vanzal, project manager for Weir Constructors, told board members that construction work on West Hardin Middle School began in August 2024 and is tracking to an expected completion in April 2027. The project includes a gymnasium that doubles as a state-required storm shelter, classroom wings, a kitchen and athletic fields in a roughly 117,000-square-foot facility. "Our current schedule, our expected completion is April 2027," Vanzal said, and he explained phasing and site constraints, including a protected stream under the site that required a bridge culvert to meet Corps of Engineers permitting requirements.
Vanzal described the storm shelter’s structural scale, saying the shelter roof/wall assembly includes about 835,000 pounds of concrete and that new construction will advance quickly once vertical work begins. He also outlined HVAC plans that include a geothermal field and noted reimbursement rules for older buses cited in the finance presentation.
Caleb Carpenter, the project manager for the Child Nutrition Center and the planned new elementary, said the Child Nutrition Center’s steel deck is complete, masonry and interior work are imminent, and the project is recovering from rain-related schedule impacts. Carpenter said project teams have started the bid process for the new elementary, estimated at about 109,000 square feet with a roughly 27-month construction schedule and a hoped-for start in 2026.
Board members asked logistical questions about detention basins and geothermal drilling near creeks; project managers said they are monitoring site conditions and coordinating monthly to weekly walks to track progress. No board actions were required during the updates, though several Central Hardin construction change orders and BG4s were part of the consent agenda approved later in the meeting.
