Opelika superintendent warns district is at capacity; presents Fox Run expansion and proposed 1,800‑student middle school

Dr. Kevin Davis, superintendent of Opelika City Schools, told the City Council on April 7 that the district is "completely out of room" in many schools and presented a phased plan to accommodate rapid enrollment growth.

Davis said district enrollment is roughly 5,300–5,400 students now and has increased about 10% since 2020; he estimated the district could reach about 7,500 students over the next 10 years. "We have students that are in hallways, stairwells," he said, describing classrooms with multiple teachers, teachers on rolling carts and resource classes operating at triple capacity.

The district is already advancing a Fox Run addition that Davis said will add about 71,000 square feet, roughly 30 classrooms and a gym. He said the low bidder, Bailey Harris, came in about $3.5 million under estimate and that the Fox Run addition will break ground May 4; Davis gave a Fox Run construction figure near $29.5 million. "If everything goes to plan, Fox Run will start — they will break ground on May 4th," he said.

For long‑term capacity, Davis said architects recommended a new middle school. He described a proposed building of roughly 262,000 square feet and about 102 classrooms with capacity for about 1,800 students. Davis presented cost figures that varied with assumptions: he cited a $109 million estimate and said that, after contingencies, the full program could top out around $140 million. "It will house up to 1,800 kids," he said of the proposed middle school, noting the district already owns about 38 acres near the Sportsplex.

Davis also underscored the district's preference for permanent construction over widespread use of portable classrooms. Using the engineers' estimates he said a portable classroom can cost on the order of $400,000 to site and equip for ADA, water and power; to accommodate 500 new students the district could need 36–40 portables, rising to 90–95 if enrollment increases more dramatically.

Board members pressed Davis on funding and safety. Davis said the district receives some state funds (he referenced an ANT fund from the state Department of Education), that short‑term renovations to Jeter and Morris Avenue are budgeted at about $1.9 million this summer, and that staff will pursue a mix of district resources, grants and partnerships for larger projects. On the condition of older buildings, Davis said Northside has significant maintenance problems (roof, windows, HVAC) and offered options including selective renovation, demolition and rebuild (a low estimate he cited for full Northside renovation was about $25 million), or repurposing the building for district offices while using other spaces for students during transitions.

Davis said Fox Run's expansion is intended to relieve pressure in the near term and that the new middle school would be designed to sustain longer‑term growth, with a multi‑year construction schedule that could put the new middle school in service in the 2029–30 timeframe if all phases proceed as planned.

Next steps: Fox Run's groundbreaking is scheduled for May 4; the board and staff will continue pre‑planning, programming and cost refinement for the middle‑school proposal and report back to the council and public as those processes advance.