Parkland School District presents larger, costlier Vision 2030 high‑school plan; Act 34 hearing eyed

Design and finance teams presented a substantially expanded Vision 2030 plan for Parkland High School on Sept. 17, telling the School Board that the schematic now includes more interior renovation and roughly 75,000 square feet of additions — up from an earlier 60,000‑square‑foot concept — and that the district’s budget estimate has risen to about $58–59 million.

Jamie Bortz, senior project manager for Alloy5 (the design firm on the project), walked the board through site and floor plans that fill the ‘pie wedges’ between existing wings, add courtyards and small‑group learning spaces, expand the cafeteria by about 200 seats and include programmatic additions such as 12 science labs, 28 general classrooms, two learning support rooms, a new communication and design lab and an expanded nurses’ suite. Bortz said the design team will complete design development at the end of September and hand a package to the cost‑estimating firm before completing construction documents in May 2025.

Rob Avatabale, the district’s project budget lead, said the higher price mainly reflects the larger square footage and additional interior work. “In July my team put together a budget based on that schematic design set, and that budget came in at 58, almost 59,000,000 complete,” he told the board, adding that the estimate will be refined after the next design development set.

Administrators described a potential athletics‑lobby alternate that would create a separate entry for game days and help separate cafeteria traffic from athletics event circulation; they said the alternate is estimated at about $2.8 million and would be bid as an option. Board members pressed staff on safety and circulation benefits; supporters said the alternate would allow the cafeteria area to remain in use during games and create a distinct athletics arrival experience.

District officials outlined the schedule: construction documents are targeted for completion May 2025, with bidding beginning in September 2025, bid openings in February 2026, contract awards in April 2026 and a projected project completion date of July 2027 so the additions are ready for the 2027–28 school year. Administrators also said the project will include the required Act 34 pre‑construction hearing process, with an Act 34 book prepared in December and a potential hearing in February next year.

No final board authorization to advertise for the Act 34 hearing or to award construction contracts occurred at the meeting; administrators said they will continue community outreach (PTO and faculty meetings) and return with updates in October and again before major approvals.

The presentation included renderings of new circulation (an open stair from the cafeteria to the second floor), a proposed athletics lobby, and interior renovations for the media center (makerspace, enclosed tutoring rooms and new circulation desks). Board discussion also covered whether to reinstall lockers in some wings and the potential impact on building operations if the athletics alternate is not accepted immediately.

Next steps: administration will finalize the design‑development set, update cost estimates, prepare the Act 34 materials and seek board direction before advertising the hearing and moving to the bid phase.