Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board updates Lincoln–Irving expansion timeline; Willard to be retired because it lacks ADA access
Summary
District staff reviewed stakeholder engagement for the Lincoln–Irving expansion, described a multi-year design and construction timeline with interim relocation plans (Coolidge site) and stated Willard will be retired because it is not ADA accessible; staff emphasized ongoing family communications and multilingual outreach.
District staff provided an update on the Lincoln–Irving expansion and related facilities planning on Nov. 12. Speakers summarized work since late 2023 — programming meetings, building tours and repeated stakeholder input sessions — and described the next design milestones and communications plans ahead of construction.
Stakeholder engagement and outreach: staff said they convened cross-section stakeholder groups (teachers, administrators, community members) and used gallery walks and test-fit/schematic design reviews in 2023–24. A multilingual timeline letter was sent to families at Lynn, Irving and Willard schools and professionally translated into Spanish, French, Swahili, Yari and Pashto to ensure broad understanding before ground-breaking and to gather input via in-person events and surveys.
Timeline and logistics: presenters said a conceptual/test-fit phase occurred earlier in 2024, design development and construction documents are planned next, and major construction is forecast for 2026 with a target opening in the 2027–28 school year. Staff noted the site is constrained (about 4 acres) and they are working on design trade-offs and parking/staging plans. The district is exploring moving Willard students to an interim site at Coolidge for the construction year; staff told the board they plan frequent communication and at least quarterly family engagement opportunities.
Willard retirement and accessibility: presenters told the board Willard—built in 1926 per materials cited by staff—is not ADA accessible, lacks air conditioning and has other constraints. For those reasons staff recommended retiring Willard and relocating students during construction; the board heard that staff aim to minimize disruption but that relocation planning is underway and exact dates depend on design and approvals.
Next steps: staff said they will present schematic design to the board in January and return with schematic design development in May, continue stakeholder meetings, finalize transportation and staging plans with the city and the regional office of education, and prepare the interim site for students before construction begins.
