Crystle Nehrmeyer, Superintendent
Nov. 3 was a special day for several reasons. In the Oracle Elementary School District, this day will be remembered because it was the first time that representatives from BWS Architects, H2 Group Project Management, Chasse Building Team, and District Administration came together in the school library to discuss the design and construction timelines for the capital bond projects approved by voters in November 2019. The journey to this meeting has been packed with consultations with legal counsel, interviews of qualified firms, and the successful sale of our capital bonds earlier this year.
While distanced and wearing face masks, we discussed our commitment to maximizing our taxpayer dollars, honoring the District motto of, “Small Town Roots, Global Expectations,” remaining committed to the specific capital bond projects approved by voters, and providing an innovative educational environment for our students. It is our plan to break ground on the new classroom building addition, library renovation, kitchen renovation, student restroom upgrades, parking lot reconfiguration, and campus security upgrades in summer 2021.
Until then, our architects will continue to work with engineers and complete the necessary assessments in order for construction to begin safely and efficiently. We will continue our design process and look forward to meeting with teachers, student groups, families, and stakeholders in our community for design feedback in the spring.
To extend our capital bond dollars, we are currently working with the Arizona School Facilities Board to secure funding for critical roofing projects and the replacement of multiple HVAC units at the Mountain Vista K-8 School campus. Our interactions with the Arizona School Facilities Board has already led to the replacement of the bleachers in our school gymnasium and the complete replacement of the flooring in the school cafeteria. These projects were both funded entirely by the Arizona School Facilities Board.
Community members that are interested in more information regarding our capital bond projects are encouraged to attend our monthly meetings of the Governing Board on the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. We are currently meeting in the school cafeteria at Mountain Vista K-8 School, 2618 W El Paseo, Oracle, AZ, 85623.