How soon will SPS break ground on $220M bond projects? A draft plan released

Months of planning and lessons learned from past projects are expected to speed up aspects of Springfield Public Schools' new bond projects but manufacturing delays — driven, in part, by high demand for certain materials — are still likely.

Travis Shaw, executive director of operations, told the school board Tuesday that the district has created a proposed sequence for the project that takes into account the market for needed materials.

While work will start quickly, Shaw cautioned it may take up to five years to complete all of the projects funded by the $220 million bond, which was supported by nearly 78% of voters.

"We should be seeing the shovels hit the ground this summer," he said.

Superintendent Grenita Lathan started the board presentation by reiterating her thanks to voters and the board,

"I hope we are truly demonstrating the sense of urgency we have to get started," she said.

Lathan added: "We are just so excited about the outstanding facilities that our children will have an opportunity to learn in."

The work includes widespread security upgrades, six elementary gyms that double as storm shelters, new Pipkin and Reed middle schools, and a renovated and reconfigured Pershing.

Shaw, who will shift into the deputy superintendent of operations role starting July 1, said early design work for the storm shelters means the district will soon seek bids for projects at Mann and Wilder.

"We will really kick off early with our storm shelters," he said.

The district will seek storm shelter bids this summer for projects at Pittman and Watkins and as early as this fall for Cowden and Holland.

Shaw said lessons were learned during the construction of storm shelters at Field and Twain elementary schools, as part of the 2019 bond issue, that led to a streamline of the design.

He added that completion of each storm shelter will take longer than expected because the precast panels needed for the outside and roof may take as long as 12 months for the manufacturer to deliver.

"We're not going to be able to get them going as quickly as we'd like to so that timeframe for completion is extended out a little bit," he said. "But we know that upfront and so we can plan accordingly."

Earlier this year, the board approved architects to design the new Pipkin and Reed. Reed will be rebuilt on the same campus, at the corner of Atlantic Street and Lyon Avenue.

The district recently announced plans to construct the new Pipkin on a 20.9-acre parcel on East Pythian Street, near U.S. 65. The land is under contract but the district delayed closing until after the election.

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Shaw said the size and scope of the Pipkin and Reed projects means the design work likely won't be finalized until late 2023.

"We will work through this entire year," he said. "Those are large projects so they are going to take us almost 12 months to design and bid those projects and then we'll have a two-year timeline for construction."

It will likely be late 2024 before design work will start on Pershing. The district has not yet decided if the school will remain a K-8 building or be transformed into just a middle school.

That decision will largely depend on the outcome of a demographic and boundary study. Shaw said results of that study are expected as early as August.

The estimated completion date for each project:

• Mann Elementary gym and storm shelter − August 2024

• Wilder Elementary gym and storm shelter − August 2024

• Pittman Elementary gym and storm shelter − September 2024

• Watkins Elementary gym and storm shelter − September 2024

• Cowden Elementary gym and storm shelter − January 2025

• Holland Elementary gym and storm shelter − January 2025

• Pipkin Middle School − December 2025

• Reed Academy − December 2025

• Pershing − December 2027

Shaw said the top priority for safety upgrades is to apply protective film to all ground-floor glass, including windows and doors, in the district.

The film is not bulletproof but it is shatterproof, which is expected to slow down any would-be intruder and give the school police and other first-responders more time to arrive.

He said this work took an additional significance after a March 27 shooting at a private school in Nashville because the shooter fired into glass doors to gain entry into the building.

The district has started figuring out how much film is needed with the goal of seeking bids by June.

"It's a lot of square feet," he said. "Unfortunately, with the situation that happened in Nashville... and how that (shooter) entered the building, the protective film has become quite a hot commodity."

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He said the manufacturer does not expect delays at this point but the district still plans to work quickly, just in case. Once the film arrives, Shaw said it may take up to six months to install.

Shaw said the district will next prioritize the installation of door sensors and access control, calling it an "identified need." The rest of the funds allocated for safety will be spent on cameras and roof sensors.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How soon will SPS break ground on bond projects? A draft plan released