July 2023 — Our Maintenance Department and summer employees began renovating the boys' locker room this summer, as these spaces have been in need of a remodel for many years, and the district could address some of these updates outside of the scope of Prop SG.

Crews have removed old lockers, ordered new lockers, renovated wall spaces, re-painted the walls and ceilings, replaced the lights with LEDs, and removed the shower column. Partitions will be added for showers, and there will be door replacements yet, as well.

We will share the finished photos after the fixtures are in and the paint is done!

March 2023 — Recently, the high school project has had some significant sitework challenges with increased costs, some of which include moving a water main which would require a permit from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), updating the location of electrical poles and associated lines, and the addition of a sewage injector. District administration met with KRJ Architects and Brockmiller Construction to discuss the increased costs associated with each project, and came to the conclusion that a shift in direction might be needed, and that the District Level Facilities Committee should reconvene to provide input and make a decision. The committee delved into the updated plans, cost estimates, and unexpected hurdles and discussed the best approach to take going forward.

The original timeline included the Early Childhood Center beginning construction last. The committee discussed how that project could not then be completed if funds ran out due to increased costs of the other projects. The committee decided to put the high school gymnasium plans on hold, and ask KRJ Architects to shift their focus to the Early Childhood Center plans. The district is not cutting any of the projects at this time. The goal is to strive to save as we move through construction, and take advantage of the value engineering opportunities that Brockmiller Construction identifies.

The committee discussed the significant updates that need to be done at the high school, including the locker rooms, the current weight room and current wrestling facility. The group is hopeful that the district can begin addressing those concerns through Prop SG, even if the gymnasium is not possible as we approach the end of the projects. At this time, all of the projects are still on the table.

With the reorganization of the projects, the timelines are nearly the same, with the Ste. Genevieve Elementary timeline moving backward a few months due to the focus on the Early Childhood Center plans. All timelines are all contingent on updated costs, the availability of materials, and unexpected processes that may arise.

January 2023 — The main project consists of a practice gym addition on the side of the existing gym building.

• Currently, the design is one story. The current wrestling area will be renovated into a new weight room, and the current weight room will be renovated into a locker room for visiting teams. Originally, the plan was to make a two-story addition where the new wrestling area would be on the first level with the practice gym on the second level. However, Brockmiller Construction pointed out that it would be more cost effective to pull the two areas apart and leave the gymnasium one level while utilizing a metal building elsewhere on campus for the wrestling area. This new plan could possibly offer space within the metal building for other programs, such as a turf area for football and marching band, as well as batting cages for baseball and softball.

• Currently, the plan for an athletic building would encompass four wrestling mats, small locker rooms and bathrooms, which were identified as needs in Prop SG. Brockmiller Construction, Inc. has built similar metal buildings for other school districts, as it is a popular design. These buildings offer an economy of scale and a cheaper price point, meaning that districts receive more square footage for a lower price. Having this standalone structure could save the district money rather than build the two-story addition originally discussed. This metal building could be expanded upon to become a 120 by 300 structure with turf, if funds allow.

• The district will evaluate a report from GeoTech in order to determine a possible location for the metal building.