Board hears elementary construction plans: capacity increases, storm shelters and multi-school timeline

At the March 5 workshop, district staff and architects presented construction plans for four elementary schools in the district’s bond program and answered board questions about timelines and funding.

Alex Slogan, the facilities presenter, described plans at Bailey Elementary that would increase capacity to 835 students, add two pre-K classrooms, provide a dedicated cafeteria, install a code-required storm shelter, renovate first- through fourth-grade pods and replace fluorescent lighting with dimmable LED fixtures. "We are increasing capacity to 835 students," Slogan said, and outlined classroom-pod configurations, new handwashing stations, upgraded teaching walls and a permanent wall between cafeteria and gym to improve flow.

Slogan said similar interior renovations are planned for Grey Cloud Elementary (transcript references include both 'Grey Cloud' and 'Ray Cloud'); the Grey Cloud scope includes two pre-K rooms, a special-education wing with restrooms and breakout spaces, a resurfaced gym and a storm shelter addition. Pine Hill will receive a six-classroom addition with two flex spaces, multiple restrooms and gym/freezer upgrades, and Red Rock will get classroom and special-education additions plus expanded cafeteria seating. For the schools described, Alex said interior pod renovations are scheduled to begin in spring and be returned to schools before fall, while exterior additions will extend into August 2027.

Board members asked how students will be accommodated while work occurs. Slogan said pod renovations are timed for summer completion and that the additions — the work that extends into August 2027 — are primarily exterior and add capacity. On funding, a board member asked whether cafeteria work is fully bond-funded. Chris Blackburn said some cafeteria equipment costs at Pine Hill have been funded through a mix of bond dollars and nutrition-services funds and estimated roughly $500,000 from nutrition-services for equipment at Pine Hill, noting efforts by district staff to identify allowable uses.

Why it matters: The projects add capacity and required safety features (storm shelters) and will affect school traffic and building operations during construction; the board had follow-up questions about circulation and funding allocations. The board thanked presenters and moved on to budget items.