Gudy Gaskill Elementary
Thanks to LPS voters, the process of replacing aging facilities with state-of-the-art schools that will serve students and the community for future generations is underway! A new elementary school serving the Highland, Franklin, and Twain communities welcomed students in the fall of 2022 as part of the 2018 bond program!
The new elementary school, named Gudy Gaskill Elementary School by the Board of Education on November 11, 2021, has been constructed on the old Franklin Elementary campus. The old Franklin Elementary School has been demolished and replaced with playgrounds, playing fields, and parking to serve the new school and neighborhood. Gudy Gaskill Elementary provides appropriate space for small- and large-group instruction, creativity, and innovation. It is the optimum size and provides more opportunities for programming and flexibility while functioning as a true neighborhood school.
With Gudy Gaskill Elementary School opening, Highland Elementary School has been transformed to become The Village for Early Childhood Education at Highland.
Designing and building a modern, student-centered elementary school takes time and thoughtful input from staff, parents, students, and the community. It is complex work and takes lots of planning. The community has experienced some shuffling as programs move within the district to accommodate the new construction. More importantly, the process has been exciting and energizing as staff members, students, parents, and community members from Highland, Franklin, and Twain come together to shape their new school.
Drone Flyover July 10, 2022
Beam Signing and Topping Out Ceremony
Read about this event in the LPS Newsroom!
Updates
(August 2023) Summer painting and remedial warranty work is complete.
(May 2023) Some interior painting in classrooms will be completed over summer.
(April 2023) Sunshade structures were installed over spring break. Painting in some classrooms will take place over the summer.
(March 2023) 6-month warranty walk completed. Sunshade will be started soon.
(December 2022) Remedial concrete work is going to happen over winter break. Some interior painting is going to be completed, along with quiet room padding. Warranty work is in progress.
(October 2022) Classrooms will be painted over summer break and stairwells are going to be painted over winter break.
(August 2022) Certificate of Occupancy will be obtained prior to the start of school; the building is READY for students! Crews are wrapping up punch list items and landscaping. Any work that needs to be completed after school starts will be done outside of school hours.
(June 2022) Building interiors are in final phases. The main office, kindergarten, third trade, and special education have been punch-walked. The remainder of the building is being scheduled for punch walks. Howell Construction is working through inspections and is on-schedule for a June 22 substantial completion/temporary certificate of occupancy. Corridor and classroom paint is ongoing, and some "shelter in place" carpet is being installed in the SACC room. Installation of furniture is scheduled to begin at the end of June, and the site is on-schedule to be completed August 1.
(April 2022) Grading for playgrounds is underway. Site concrete, interior painting, ceiling/grid tiles, flooring, door hardware, kitchen, and cafetorium bleachers are also ongoing. The moving in process has started with Bailey's Moving. Project is on-schedule for obtaining a certificate of occupancy in mid to late June.
(March 2022) Site concrete, interior finishes (cabinetry, painting, concrete grid, and polished concrete flooring) are ongoing. Rooftop HVAC units are in place. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work is ongoing. Classroom and emergency lighting is scheduled to ship at the end of this month. Generator delivery is still being worked on; there is a backup plan in case it will be delayed. Working through furniture, fixtures, and equipment and Smartlab procurement. Project is on schedule for June 15 substantial completion.
(February 2022) Rooftop units are anticipated to arrive a month later than expected. Crews have started finishing work in administration area and cafetorium (painting, casework, and wainscotting). Procurement is underway for a kiln, furniture, and smart lab equipment. Work with the City of Centennial is underway on the intersection at Franklin and Arapahoe; bus routing and design documents have been sent to the City's staff for review. Project is on schedule and within budget.
(January 2022) Roofing is wrapping up, and exterior building skin is ongoing. Some interior finishing (cabinets, tile, painting) is underway inside the building. Project is on schedule.
(December 2021) Curb/gutter install in the new parking lot is underway. Structural steel, roofing, wall framing, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing rough-in at wall, mechanical and electrical room, hydronic piping, kitchen rough-in sheet rock, and glazing are in progress. Finalizing order for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. New school logo has been designed. Project is on-schedule.
(November 2021) Crews are working on the new parking lot. Structural steel, roofing, wall framing, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing rough-in work is ongoing. The project is currently tracking on-schedule!
(October 2021) The gym is "dried in" and sheet rock is beginning to go up. A "topping out" ceremony has been scheduled. Structural steel, roofing, wall framing, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing are underway. Demolition of the old Franklin building is ongoing.
(August 2021) Abatement of the old building is scheduled ot be completed around Labor Day weekend. Once that is done, demolition can begin! On the new building, structural steel, metal stud wall framing, mechanical/electrical/plumbing work, and brick veneer is progressing well.
(June 2021) Vertical masonry is underway for the gym. Foundation work is in progress. Abatement is ongoing in the current Franklin Elementary building and is scheduled to take approximately 10 weeks.
(May 12, 2021) Concrete foundation work is ongoing on the new school. The gym foundation has been poured, and the cafeteria foundation is almost done. Electrical and plumbing work are scheduled to start soon, and masonry should be starting in June. A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
Architect's Fly-Through of the New Elementary School-Franklin Campus
Preliminary Drawings/Concept for New Elementary School
New, Temporary Wing at Highland
The new, temporary wing at Highland is in place! Photo taken July 25, 2019.
New pavement and finishing touches are being added to the Highland project. Photo taken Sept. 3, 2019.
The detached, temporary wing at Highland includes 10 classrooms, restrooms for students and staff, a teacher workroom and storage. It meets or exceeds all district operational guidelines, safety and security standards, and is ADA compliant. Additional parking has been added, and a new sidewalk was added to provide access from Highland to the new wing. Each classroom has the same features as classrooms inside the school:
- Doors and locks
- Mass notification/intercom systems, phones
- Wireless connectivity, projectors, etc.
- Fire alarms
The temporary wing has an HVAC system that will provide air conditioning during warmer months and heat during cooler months. The temperature controls are centrally managed in conjunction with all other district properties.
Classrooms in the new, temporary wing look and feel much like the classrooms inside the school.
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November 2018 - January 2019
- Select architect and engineering firms for the new elementary school that will serve the Highland and Franklin communities on the current Franklin campus.
- Survey the Franklin property
- Survey Highland Elementary School for conversion to a district early childhood education center
January 2019 - Summer 2019
- Prepare Highland campus to serve The Village Preschool at Ames beginning August 2019
- South Suburban Parks and Recreation is in the design phase for a new pool and related amenities at the existing Franklin Pool site. Additional details will be available in summer, 2019.
- Begin design process of new elementary school
Summer 2021-Summer 2022
- Construction of new elementary school
Summer of 2022
- Demolition of old facility
- Construction of parking lots, fields and playgrounds
Projected Grand Opening: Fall of 2022!
What Do Today's New Schools Look Like?
Here are some examples of newly built elementary and middle schools.
