District outlines Highland rebuild timeline; PVTE campus opening set for May 1

District business operations reported that 37 bid packages for the Highland High School rebuild have been issued and that bids are due Feb. 12; the district expects to hold a special meeting in early March to accept contractor recommendations and set a guaranteed maximum price. Project managers and the construction manager/general contractor model (CM/GC) were described as tools to limit cost overruns.

Jonathan Balls told the board that, based on current bid schedules and contractor planning, the district is fairly confident major classroom spaces, the gymnasium, commons and kitchen could be ready for use by January 2027, with remaining areas (auditorium and music classrooms) on track for a July 2027 phase. "We're fairly confident that we will be able to get into the new classrooms... by January of '27," Jonathan Balls said during the update.

PVTE and other items: staff reported that work on the Valley Technical Education and Career campus is in final stages; welding booths and construction equipment have been installed and an open house is scheduled for May 1. Communications director Courtney Fischer noted outreach plans and a Feb. 7 safety training exercise at Century High School (a noninstruction day) to involve local first responders.

Why it matters: the Highland rebuild is the district's largest capital project in the near term and will use a mixture of insurance proceeds and school modernizations funds; timely bid acceptance and careful CM/GC oversight are key to meeting the target occupancy timeline. The PVTE campus expands career-technical options for district students and will be an early spring community event when formally opened.

What to watch next: Feb. 12 bid openings, the special March meeting to act on bids, and the district's detailed reporting on guaranteed maximum price negotiations and remaining modernization-fund balances.