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Windham School Planning & Design Committee reviews facilities work and new middle school track
Summary
Committee members reviewed districtwide grounds and facility maintenance, confirmed installation of security cameras and equipment at Windham High School, and noted that the Windham Middle School track-and-turf project has broken ground and is expected to finish this summer.
The Windham Board of Education’s School Planning & Design Committee met on May 6, 2026, and reviewed facility maintenance and capital projects across the district, including work on athletic fields and grounds and the Windham Middle School track-and-turf project.
Committee Chair Brendan O’Neill recorded attendance and moved to approve the April 1, 2026 minutes with corrections; the committee approved the minutes with the listed amendments. Albie Harris reported on districtwide spring priorities: grounds and athletic fields at Windham High School (WHS), Windham Middle School (WMS) and CH Barrows to support baseball, softball, track & field and tennis. Specific WHS tasks include replacing the irrigation pump, installing a heating unit in the concession-stand storage area, outfield fencing for baseball and softball, and special clay for the infields.
Mr. Harris updated the committee on separate school-level repairs: Sweeney School had exterior concrete steps repaired and half walls constructed and painted in the RISE room; North Windham School needs bathroom-piping repairs, replacement parts for broken playground equipment, removal of damaged fencing and removal of rocks and roots from the playground; Natchaug School has two new exterior basketball hoops and staff are pricing playground fencing and child locks to improve safety. Windham Middle School is having heating and cooling systems repaired and work on the courtyard greenhouse. At Windham High School, staff will clean HVAC filters at WECC and the second floor each summer and winter; cameras were installed in the library media center, maker space and the weight room hallway, and a Kronos timekeeper was installed at the gym entrance; staff also noted closing out the WHS Renovate as New Construction project.
On capital projects, Mr. Harris said the Windham Middle School track and turf field has broken ground; soil removed during construction will be reused elsewhere in the district and the work should be complete this summer. Natchaug School’s HVAC project is in quoting and planning stage and is awaiting a referendum vote scheduled for May 12; if approved, staff hope to complete HVAC work this summer. The Windham Middle School library media center remodel has been designed and is awaiting pricing. The district has also received and placed into service a new maintenance HVAC van.
Brendan O’Neill asked about plans for WMS given that retaining-wall funding did not move forward with the Board of Finance. Mr. Harris said the tennis- and basketball-court work will need to wait until the retaining-wall funding is available, but the track-and-field construction can proceed and is not currently judged to pose an imminent safety risk; staff will continue to monitor conditions.
The committee heard no public comment. The meeting adjourned at 6:51 p.m.; the next regular School Planning & Design Committee meeting is scheduled for June 3, 2026.
