Referendum projects: four bids out, design teams meeting on new middle school

Mister Yerke briefed the board on the status of referendum projects and implementation details.

He said four projects were currently out to bid—Franklin, Oakwood, the E. Cook window project and air‑conditioning upgrades at multiple sites—with bids expected in mid‑February. User‑group meetings for the new middle school were held Jan. 20 with community stakeholders and the design team to review preliminary plans and gather feedback. Karl Traeger Elementary (Traeger/Trager spelling varied in discussion) is working with the city’s recreation department on a playground design to align district and municipal planning.

Yerke described the phasing challenges of building while schools remain occupied and said interior signage, room numbering and camera‑location planning are part of the current work. He said bids received so far were trending positively against projections and that engineering work on the front end had reduced the likelihood of cuts on the back end.

Board members thanked staff for attention to safety and coordination during construction and asked about fencing, circulation and the need to avoid construction intermingling with student activity. Yerke said the district uses fencing and coordination with contractors and site supervisors to minimize risk.

No board vote was taken; this was an informational update.