Millbrook Central School District details phased $60M+ capital plan, aims for SED submission by year-end

Millbrook Central School District officials laid out a multi-phase plan to complete more than $60 million in building work, prioritizing accessibility and critical systems while keeping the board updated on scheduling and oversight.

The district—usiness official (S9) told trustees the capital project has been divided into three phases, with Phase 1a focusing on middle-school ADA compliance, linkways and window replacement and Phase 1b covering roofs and HVAC systems. "The intent is to do all of the phase 1 work together, but we can accelerate the approval process for the ADA portion," S9 said, explaining the split corresponds to how quickly each scope can be moved to the State Education Department (SED) for approval.

Why it matters: the work targets major facilities problems that could disrupt instruction if delayed. S9 said the district moved funds from reserves into the capital fund to begin paying project-related expenses and that architects, engineers and surveyors have taken measurements and core samples to inform designs and hazard assessments.

Timeline and process: S9 gave this schedule for Phase 1a: a design window from July to December, SED submission by the end of the calendar year, and hoped SED approval by March to allow bidding with a target to start construction in July 2026. "We expect to have these plans to SED by the end of the calendar year, which will hopefully come into approval by March so we can go out to bid," S9 said. Phase 1b has a longer design window and may extend construction into 2027–28 because roof work is complex and often limited to short summer windows.

Bidding and oversight: S9 described the procurement flow: the architects and construction managers vet bids, the administration makes a recommendation and the board awards contracts. As an example of how future updates will be presented, S9 cited a hypothetical $5,000,000 contract scheduled for completion by Oct. 1 to illustrate how award amounts and timelines will anchor subsequent status reports.

Board requests and reporting cadence: trustees pressed for clearer percent-complete figures and for a public snapshot of the tentative schedule on the district website; S9 agreed to post a single-slide snapshot and to keep capital-work reporting as a standing monthly item, increasing frequency during the active construction phase. Chair (S1) and other trustees asked that the district present a line-of-balance schedule so the board can compare plan versus actuals and track cost and schedule deviations.

What—omes next: administration said a meeting with design professionals later in the month will provide a firmer percent-complete estimate and that the district will return with procurement recommendations when bids are received. The board did not take any procurement votes at this meeting.