Bond update: new high school construction advancing; athletics phase targets December user meetings and April bid

Operations director Bo Gamble briefed the board on progress for the bond-funded high school rebuild and associated athletics phase.

Gamble said monthly construction meetings continue and that workers are advancing site work, concrete, panel installation and interior millwork. He described Area 1 northwork and Area 3 fine-arts/commons connections and said FF&E purchase orders are in place with deliveries anticipated in February–March. On Area 4 he pointed out an exterior patio adjacent to the second-floor media center and interior commons that will serve students.

On athletics, Gamble said schematic design has been approved and the project is moving into design development: "We'll have a design development meeting with the key user group in December, and then we will also meet with the design review committee," and the district is "looking at trying to go to bid in April on that." He added the district had a productive pre-application meeting with the City of Stillwater and is coordinating utility- and address-related housekeeping because the main high school building will be removed.

Board members raised questions about how coaches and other stakeholders can participate. Gamble described multiple prior committees — teachers, long-range facility planning, parents and an OSU athletics representative included on design review — and said architects have reviewed and responded to coach feedback as the plan evolved.

No formal action was taken at the update beyond scheduling and further design work; board members thanked Gamble and operations staff for the brief.