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District to prioritize playground replacements, field improvements; bids set for May 26
Summary
Superintendent Matt said remaining funds from the 2021 capital project will focus on playgrounds at Glenham and Sargent, while the district plans lower-cost blended turf solutions for baseball/softball fields to avoid nearly $1 million drainage costs. Staff will present field and bid recommendations at the May 26 facilities and board meetings.
Superintendent Matt told the board the main remaining items from the 2021 capital project will be playground replacements at Glenham and Sargent; after vendor delays and cost reviews, the district decided to concentrate funds on those two schools rather than split limited resources among three sites.
On athletic fields, the district is shifting from an expensive engineered drainage design to a blended turf approach with FieldTurf and a subcontractor, which staff said could achieve playability goals at far lower cost than the originally budgeted drainage plan (the engineered drainage had pushed the project nearly $1 million over budget in initial estimates). Matt said FieldTurf and an experienced subcontractor are developing a plan the district expects to present for approval at the May 26 meeting.
Tennis-court work is proceeding under state contract and the district will conduct core samples after the season to determine subsurface water issues. Other planned work includes theater improvements, entryway projects at several schools, and phased air-conditioning work at South Avenue and Sargent that will continue into 2027; the district said it does not expect full active air conditioning in those buildings until 2027.
Board members asked whether a contractor could mobilize quickly if bids are accepted on May 26; Matt said several companies attended walk-throughs and expressed confidence in the timeline, but state approvals and supply-chain timing remain variables and the facilities team will repackage bids if needed. The facilities committee will meet before the May 26 board meeting to review bids and field proposals.
What’s next: the facilities committee and board will review bids on May 26; staff will provide more detailed cost and timeline information as vendors finalize proposals.
