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Superintendent outlines three options for 100‑year‑old middle school: renovate, move, or expand Arborwood
Summary
The board heard three pathways for the aging middle school — renovate in place (expensive), relocate middle‑school grades into a high‑school addition, or add onto Arborwood — with a new standalone middle school estimated at $110M and no final decision made.
Superintendent Shaw told the board the district must confront the condition of its century‑old middle school and presented five high‑level choices: maintain the building with targeted work, renovate the existing middle school, add onto Arborwood, move middle grades into a reconfigured high‑school footprint, or build an entirely new middle school. "A new middle school will cost you a $110,000,000 at minimum," Shaw said, arguing the district cannot afford a brand‑new facility within current numbers.
He described a preferred concept of creating a new entrance and office area at the high school and re‑using an existing wing for middle‑school classrooms to keep schedules and student flows separate. Board members raised concerns about operational logistics — bell schedules, shared spaces and staffing — and about unknown hidden costs if major systems are disturbed during renovation. Shaw said the district will work with Kohler and Clark Construction on square footage and cost modeling and return with concrete options for the board to consider.
