Construction ongoing at MPSD campuses

Oct. 27—Building projects are moving along on several city school campuses, while high construction costs have sent other projects to a re-bidding process, according to an update given to Meridian school board members earlier this week.

The update, during the school board's regular monthly meeting on Monday, was provided by the district's Director of Operations Clay Sims and Jason Stewart, project manager for Bailey Program Management of Ridgeland.

An array of construction projects at city schools are being funded by a $34 million school bond issue approved by voters in August 2022 and portions of three federal COVID pandemic relief packages, totaling around $47 million.

Meridian High School is set to receive a major safety and security upgrade, including the construction of a new administration and entranceway addition adjacent to the ninth grade building, as well as an enclosed corridor that connects the ninth grade building to the main high school buildings across the courtyard. Also, a new covered canopy walkway will connect the high school buildings with Ross Collins Career and Technical Center, located down the hill from the main campus. Renovations to the band hall and fine arts building are also planned, as well as the construction of a new baseball/softball complex across from Ross Collins.

When completed, the new administration addition and entranceway at the front of the campus will become the gateway, or single point of entry, for visitors to the campus, Stewart said.

"This is a secure, front entry, which is the goal," he said. "Once kids are in school, buses are dropped off and car rider line is done, if you come to Meridian High School, you have to go see somebody there to do anything. If you are bringing lunch money, somebody left their textbook or whatever it may be, this is where you are going, which creates an environment that is supervised."

Sims said secure perimeters at all district campuses, which include the new single-point entranceways and access control fencing, were a priority of the bond issue.

Many school districts across the state have already begun adding security fencing and single-point entranceways to their campuses, including the Lauderdale County School District.

Stewart said the proposed enclosed corridor is another way to help secure the campus.

"When I say enclosed, do not think enclosed off or not inviting," he said, "but this is securing the campus, if you will, from anything. That is a connecting corridor so when your babies are inside this campus, they are inside Meridian High School's campus."

Sims said the enclosed corridor also will provide a covered place for students to transition from the ninth grade building to the main buildings during rainy weather.

Board member Kim Houston asked if the corridor's design was approved by the appropriate agencies since the Meridian High School campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stewart told her it was. "I will be honest with you, this would not be my preferred design if it was not. We could do some cool stuff, but obviously given the historical significance of buildings of this age, this is through their blessing."

Stewart also told board members that the planned baseball and softball complex is in its third redesign to get it within budget after having come in over budget twice.

"Obviously, we have had some bidding issues, and we have redesigned and gone back to the drawing board ... to make sure we get it right," he said. "The construction market is volatile to say the least."

He said, due to the high cost of construction materials and supplies these days, they have charged the project's design team to rework the plans to get the project within budget. Bids are expected to go out in the next five to six weeks. As of now, plans are for MHS to be playing games in the baseball and softball complex by spring 2025, he said.

Under the current plans, the combined baseball and softball complex will be located across the street from Ross Collins where the current football practice field is located and near the tennis courts. The complex will include a concession stand, restrooms, home and visitor seating, dugouts, a hitting facility, a wall-to-wall turf field and a single-entrance ticket booth access.

"This is becoming a very normal high school practice to utilize one field for both sports and the turf allows you to do that," Stewart said.

Wildcat Drive, which runs through campus in front of Ross Collins, will now stay open after original plans called for closing the street, he said.

"In doing that, it creates a shorter outfield wall. It's about 250-255 feet down right field," Stewart said. "However, the height of that wall is now over 30 feet, so it kind of gives you some home field advantage."

Sims said the redesigned baseball and softball complex project will be rebid in a package that includes the Meridian High secure access project. By creating one larger project, it should draw in a larger contractor pool, which will increase the likelihood of the school district receiving better bids and will cut down on the logistics of construction, he said.

"It works out to be a better project at the end of the day," Sims said.

Some of the other projects currently going on at city school campuses include:

* At Carver Elementary, work began there in earnest this summer to ready the school for elementary-age students since it was formerly a middle school. Stewart said workers are wrapping up painting and roofing work, as well as upgrades to restrooms to make them more accessible for younger students. New canopies still need to be completed at the front entrance and a rear entrance needs to be created for bus rider students to access the building. An addition to the cafeteria and more restrooms are still planned for the building. Bids were accepted earlier this week to redo the campus parking areas. Since dismissal at the campus is quite hectic, Sims said a main goal of the project will be to separate the bus rider and car lines. When the work is completed, buses we will be brought to the back of the school and will exit out of the driveway into the T intersection of 44th Avenue and the adjoining street. A new car rider entrance and drop off point will be added in front of the building that will circle around and come back out onto 44th Avenue.

* At Northwest Middle School, construction work is ongoing to a two-room addition to the building with much of the exterior of the addition in place except for the roof. Interior work is underway with the project expected to be completed in early 2024. A new secure front door entranceway is also planned with bids expected to be advertised at the first of the year, Stewart said. Project designers are combing through the plans to see where money can be saved in the design of the project because Sims said they realize the bids must come in on or under budget.

* At Magnolia Middle School, a new secure, front entranceway is also planned with secure fencing added to the campus. Renovations will add a new band hall and chorus area space to the auditorium, and renovations to the cafeteria and library will fresh up those spaces. An additional classroom space will also be added to the back of the campus.

* The five elementary campuses also are receiving secure entries and fencing around their perimeter. Upgrades are also planned to learning spaces, media centers, science labs and auditoriums. Crestwood is being re-roofed and construction of a new addition at West Hills Elementary School will add six new classrooms to the campus. Heating, air conditioning and ventiliation projects have been ongoing at most of the campuses, as well as remodeling of restrooms to add touchless fixtures.

Contact Glenda Sanders at gsanders@themeridianstar.com.