School board approves architect contract to replace Carrboro Elementary, after discussion on trees and runoff

The Chapel Hill‑Carrboro City Schools board voted to approve an architectural and engineering contract for the on‑site replacement of Carrboro Elementary, advancing a project that staff estimated at about $53 million in total and that is slated for schematic design, permitting and phased construction.

Capital projects staff described a competitive RFQ process that drew 17 licensed K–12 architecture firms and was winnowed to two finalists. The board’s capital team and a school‑based committee recommended LS3P Associates based on its experience with occupied‑site school replacements and an articulated project approach. Staff presented a proposed contract award of $3,081,600, with a base design fee just over $2.6 million and a design budget in the district’s capital plan of roughly $5.3 million.

“We believe we have full confidence in their ability to deliver this project successfully,” said the district’s capital facilities lead, who walked the board through the firm selection process and the planned design and construction milestones. He said the district will return with a schematic design for board review and intends to involve the contractor early in the design process to assist with phasing and constructability.

Board members and community speakers pressed staff and the architect on environmental protections, tree preservation and stormwater. An audience member who identified themselves as a Carrboro Elementary parent and neighbor described how playground runoff funnels into nearby woods and a creek and urged the board and design team to study drainage and the role of existing trees in moderating flows. “Please make sure to ask [hydrologists] about this directly and have them measure it,” the speaker said.

Project staff responded that the design team’s civil engineers and site consultants (the contract includes a $150,000 allowance for site and field engineering) will address permitting, stormwater, and efforts to minimize tree impacts. They said the district is aiming to keep the building footprint tight, preserve buffers where feasible, and present an environmental assessment along with schematic plans.

Staff described an aggressive target schedule: design and contractor selection through 2026, bidding in fall 2026 or early 2027, construction beginning as early as spring 2027, and construction activity continuing through late 2028 with substantial completion earlier in that period. Staff cautioned that the timeline is dependent on town permitting, an interlocal agreement with Orange County, contractor procurement and other steps.

The board moved to approve the contract; a second was recorded and members voted in favor by voice. The motion carried.

Next steps will include completing the interlocal agreement with Orange County, advancing schematic design with community and school input, an environmental/site assessment tied to the schematic package, and selecting a construction manager to guide phasing for an occupied‑site replacement.

The board and staff said they will continue public outreach about tree preservation, site drainage, reuse of materials from the old building where feasible, and opportunities for community uses of open space created where the current school sits.