At the September 23, 2024 Board Meeting, Representatives from Kraus Anderson and Wold Architects shared updates on the facilities project of the new PreK-12 school currently under construction.

There have been some delays with both permitting and with weather challenges. Approval of the plumbing permit was delayed due to an extended review time at the state level which has impacted many construction projects across the state. An additional challenge is the fact that since May 2024, there have been a total of 39 rain days that have caused a need to refocus the timeline of the project.

We have worked with our construction team to prioritize the areas and items within the school to inform an updated schedule. There are still areas of the project that are projected to be online and ready on time, with other areas being phased in after that. Some parts of the facility are projected to be completed by winter break of 2025, while others like the performing arts center would be completed in the spring of 2026.

The elementary school wing was identified as the first to be online because of the fact that it is self contained. At this time it is projected that the kitchen would not be ready at the opening of school, so meal prep would happen at existing facilities and have meals delivered for part of the 2025-26 school year. These are of course tentative timelines but it's important to note that we are being as conservative as possible with our assumptions.

Winter break was identified as a feasible time frame for additional sections of the school being ready to allow for additional time to move into the building. District athletic facilities will also be on an adjusted schedule with the football stadium projected to be ready for the football season with the use of existing facilities for locker rooms along with providing portable bathrooms and concessions. The gymnasium will be ready in a later phase so volleyball and early season basketball would be held at the current high school in Winthrop. The elementary school playground is also anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2025.

These types of challenges do come up in any construction project and we are all hoping for cooperative weather in the coming months. The team will be preparing frequently asked questions and updates to answer additional questions that may come up in the community and the district will continue to communicate updates.

This new school is going to be a wonderful asset to our community and we look forward to having this future-focused learning environment for decades to come!

GFW Public Schools