Madison School District details phased Pollson renovation: cooling, electrical upgrades, auditorium and gym work

Ben Whitaker, the district’s director of construction and planning, presented a recalibrated four‑year improvement plan for Pollson School at the Madison School District facilities committee meeting, saying the project repackages bond proceeds and grant leverage to deliver cooling, electrical upgrades, and major space renovations without a full year‑long closure.

Whitaker said the district rethought the original post‑2022 bond infrastructure project after the $28 million estimate proved too large. "We wanted to get cooling in the building but... extend the life of the asset, add value to the building and increase what we call customer experience," he said, noting roughly $21 million remains in bond funds plus about $3.1 million of grant leverage and a $500,000 state grant earmarked for a generator.

The year‑one package focuses on heavy infrastructure delivered under a construction manager at‑risk contract. "Gilane is the CM on this project," Whitaker said, describing a little‑over $15 million guaranteed maximum price covering the first phase and multiple publicly bid trade packages. He said long‑lead items such as the generator and switchgear were procured early and are arriving or staged.

Schedule highlights Whitaker provided include taking the main gym offline May 11 through Nov. 28 to preserve fall and early winter athletics, keeping the auditorium available through Dec. 31 of the school year before isolating and completing its renovation, and a full building closure from June 21–Aug. 21 for concentrated summer work. He said the district expects to turn over the work with final punch‑list activity into early 2027, with a broader re‑occupancy by February 2027.

On systems, Whitaker described a two‑track HVAC approach: replacing the nine rooftop "pen houses" (equipment enclosures and their internal split systems installed in 1992) and installing VRF (variable refrigerant flow) systems for roughly 24 classrooms. "Those pen houses are just beyond the end of life... we're kind of replacing the guts," he said, adding that VRF condensers and ceiling cassettes let the team add cooling without major building surgery.

Electrical work includes relocating the building’s main electrical gear into a repurposed storage room, installing a new 3,000‑amp main and distribution, and tying in new roof‑mounted equipment. Whitaker said the project will add a fully automatic 1.5‑megawatt generator to power the school and support its new role as the town’s emergency shelter; that generator funding was supported by a $500,000 state grant.

Auditorium and gym renovations are substantial: the auditorium will receive a new ceiling (removed and abated), new seating, stage refinishing, upgraded lighting and sound systems, and new flooring; the main gym will be stripped to bare wood, refinished with new lines and bleachers, and receive new LED lighting and cooling so it can host summer events.

Looking beyond year one, Whitaker said about $7 million could remain for year‑two work if current estimates hold; that phase would prioritize roof replacement (estimated at $5.9 million) and asbestos tile flooring abatement (about $1.4 million) and is planned to pursue state school construction grant reimbursement. Later years in the four‑year plan include window replacements and classroom refreshes contingent on residual funding and reimbursements.

On related items, Whitaker described a separate, smaller allocation of $150,000 for Pollson’s library media center furniture in the district’s SIP; procurement timing could delay that work into summer 2027 depending on competing summer schedules.

Committee members pressed on sequencing and priorities, asking whether rooftop solar would be installed after roof warranties and whether funds should instead be used to demolish Ryerson; Whitaker said solar currently sits later in the plan (year three) and that the building committee will finalize how remaining funds and priorities are handled. "The building committee is going to make a final determination on taking the residuals to the project and moving forward," a committee member said.

The facilities committee heard the presentation, asked clarifying questions about pen‑house reuse, abatement, and commissioning timelines, and requested more frequent visual updates to show before/after progress to the community. No public comments were made and the committee adjourned at 6:56 p.m.

Next steps: the district will continue construction under the CMAR contract, stage major crane and rooftop work for summer 2026, pursue state grant reimbursement for roof/floor abatement work in 2027, and the building committee will make final calls about solar and residual allocations.