Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Campus Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District project update: New elementary under construction; athletic campus fields now likely delayed into 2028
Summary
District staff told the board March 16 that earthwork is underway for the new K–2 elementary school and a roughly $4 million renovation for the high‑school tech hub is in the works, but construction and permitting timelines make it likely athletic fields at the intended athletic campus will not be playable until 2028.
District staff presented a detailed campus master‑plan update at the March 16 New Albany-Plain Local Schools Board of Education meeting, reporting that site clearing and earthwork have begun for the new all‑day K–2 elementary school and that contractors have mobilized on site.
The presenter said construction fencing, temporary roadways and a service drive for bus access are installed and that trees have been removed to make way for grading and topsoil work. The district discovered an unanticipated underground well and an exposed technology line during early site work; both were addressed, staff said.
A separate project at the high school — a planned renovation of the technology hub — is advancing toward a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). The presenter said the preliminary GMP for that renovation is roughly $4 million and that the district accepted an elevator replacement as an alternate to avoid later disruption during renovation.
On athletics, the board heard a substantive timeline change. Staff and the construction manager told the district that, given required approvals from the city (including ARB and planning steps), grading and phased permitting, the new athletic campus and the renovated middle‑school fields are now unlikely to be available for play before early 2028. "It is probable as of today that the high school baseball and softball complexes may not be available for play until March of 2028," the presenter said.
Board members and staff discussed possible mitigations — a phased approach, hard‑surface interim parking or gravel access, and use of turf in outfields — but staff cautioned that those measures can materially increase cost and, for natural‑grass fields, that sod must generally be planted by October to be playable the following spring.
The presenter also reported that the transportation hub remains paused while legal questions about property proceed, and that the district continues to coordinate with the city on traffic, signals and site access tied to the new elementary school.
What happens next: staff said they will continue weekly construction meetings and will return to the board with a final GMP for the tech hub in time for board action at the April meeting. The district will also continue coordination with the city on ARB and development approvals for the athletic campus; staff flagged that earlier access dates are now unlikely without significant cost escalation.
