Construction Project Update

Throughout April and May, the design team has been meeting weekly to develop plans for the new high school and transportation center. Currently, the new high school is in the schematic design phase. During this time, designers gather ideas from the district administration school staff, and students as they draft initial floor plans for the building. As the plans become more detailed, preliminary elevations are created that include ideas for colors and materials on the building’s exterior. This incorporates the information gathered from the community through the recent Visual Preference Exercise. This phase's goal is to better understand the overall layout, massing, and scope of the new school.  

To gather feedback, architects and designers met individually with all departments at the high school and recorded their feedback. This input was collected throughout March and incorporated into the team’s plan drafts.

In April, the team began meeting with the district’s newly formed Construction Leadership Team. This group meets monthly as needed, and comprises representatives of each department and other NRCS staff who provide consistent feedback while reviewing plans. Working in small groups, they analyze spaces based on usage and arrangement. This information is incorporated where possible, and the plan's overall organization is discussed. Digital dropboxes have been established for staff who wish to provide ideas and photos of spaces to be considered. 

Students are also involved in the process. They took a student experience and locker survey, where designers gathered important information about what they preferred in their day-to-day environment. This guided discussions on their storage needs and priorities for features of the new spaces (such as natural light and furniture). Groups of students representing music, academics, athletics, and the arts gathered to provide direct input on each area of the new school. Third graders even presented the sustainable features they would love to see incorporated into their future high school. 

This feedback culminates in the completion of the schematic design phase, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of summer. Then, this early drawing set is analyzed according to the overall project budget and timeline. This process will be repeated several times during the design process.

Input from the Construction Leadership Team is invaluable and allows the district to ensure that the new school will suit the needs of the staff and students in the decades ahead. This group provides a “day-to-day perspective” and brainstorming that informs the design and plan for future use. 

Some topics discussed are:

• How the departments are organized within the new school. This could be organized by department, grade level, or a mix of both schemes.

• What components should be included in the music and auditorium spaces, and how those are arranged.

• The arrangement and adjacencies of the athletic spaces, including the weight room, competition gymnasium, and locker rooms. 

• How Teacher Preparation Rooms are organized and laid out in the school.

• Examine the results of the Student Locker Surveys and appropriate responses to lockers. 

• Their initial reactions to what new furniture and equipment could be used in the new school.

• The layout and use of various school entries in the new high school.

This information, combined with concepts from Educational Visioning, the district administration's vision, and best educational design practices, form the basis of the new school.

As the design process continues, architects will complete the schematic designs over the summer of 2024. As this phase wraps up, the district plans another Community Update Meeting in the fall of the 2024-2025 school year to report progress.

If you have any questions or feedback on the project, feel free to send them to the district via the contact form.