Brunswick, [December 5, 2023] – The Brunswick City School District would like to share an important update regarding the construction timeline for the new Brunswick High School. As a district that prioritizes honesty and integrity, we want to ensure our stakeholders have the latest information.

After receiving voter approval for the construction bond, BCSD immediately began the construction process. A credit rating increase from Moody's Investment Services in July 2023 increased marketability and allowed the District to sell the bonds in a favorable market, resulting in an estimated $1.5 million in savings for taxpayers. BCSD then selected ThenDesign Architects (TDA) and Hammond Construction as partners in the building process.

Over the past two months, TDA and Hammond have worked diligently on the preliminary designs and master schedule for Brunswick's multi-tiered building project. The project includes the construction of a new high school, site and safety improvements to Kidder and Applewood, abatement and demolition of Towslee and Willetts, relocation of the maintenance department and Board of Education to the Willetts site, and campus improvements to the high school grounds.  The construction team has been operating within the key project objectives established by BCSD, which include staying within budget and schedule constraints, prioritizing function over form, incorporating stakeholder feedback, and integrating best educational practices. These objectives are crucial to ensuring a successful project that meets the needs of all stakeholders.

In recent weeks, it became clear that the initial construction time anticipated by the OFCC was inadequate as the teams developed a master schedule.  After careful consideration and following the guidance of the construction team, BCSD expects this project to take additional time and anticipates the building to open at the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year.  "After thorough analysis and consultation with Hammond, it became evident that more time was necessary to deliver a building that met the high standards and budgetary requirements of the Brunswick community. This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one. We remain committed to designing a state-of-the-art facility that will serve students and staff for years to come." said Scott Alleman, Project Manager at TDA. 

“All avenues to expedite the new high school's opening in the 2026-2027 school year were carefully evaluated. Despite these efforts, several factors led to the team's decision to extend the timeline. The construction team detailed the increased risks of accelerating the timeline, including elevated costs and potential complications arising from bidding incomplete designs. The revised timeline prioritizes the quality of the construction process,” said Bill Schurman, owner of Hammond Construction.

BCSD weighed opening the school in January 2027, but the additional cost would have siphoned funds away from educational enhancements in favor of a faster completion date. More importantly, the mid-year move would have negatively impacted student learning and safety. In this scenario, students and staff would have been navigating an unfinished building while construction continued both inside and around the facility. As student learning and safety are top priorities for BCSD, this option was ruled out.

"We understand how excited our students, parents, staff, and community are about the opening of this new building, and we share in that excitement. We are disappointed that we have to delay the opening, but we believe aiming for an opening at the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year is the most responsible decision. We want to assure everyone that this decision was not made lightly," said Jason Niedermeyer, Superintendent of Brunswick City School District. 

We look forward to providing the best educational facility that will meet the needs of our community and students for decades to come. We remain dedicated to providing timely and transparent updates regarding the progress of this construction project.