The Village at Highland

Thank you, LPS voters, for supporting the $298M bond program! With the construction of Gudy Gaskill Elementary School on the old Franklin campus to serve the former Highland, Franklin, and Twain elementary communities, the Highland building has been converted to an early childhood education (ECE) center: The Village at Highland. 

During a Board of Education meeting on May 27, 2021, the Board approved administration's recommendations to return to having one robust, early childhood education center for the district by combining The Village North Preschool and The Village at Highland Preschool. A centrally located, dedicated early childhood education center will allow LPS to keep and enhance the quality Village preschool model and robust programs our youngest learners deserve, while also meeting stringent federal and state requirements for both indoor and outdoor learning spaces. Construction on the district's early childhood education center is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2023.

 

Updates

(November 2023) Project close-out is underway.

(September 2023) Punch list items are being completed; ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, September 7.

(August 2023) Interior, exterior, and grant spaces are all complete. Punch list items are being wrapped up prior to the start of school. All spaces have been signed off on by the state, fire department, and licensing. All work will be completed by the first day of school.

(May 2023) Interior construction is substantially complete. New furniture installation scheduled for later this month. Exterior bond and grant work has begun and is scheduled to be completed summer 2023.

(April 2023) Furniture is scheduled to arrive and be installed in late May. Exterior work has started: under-drain for wood fiber play area has been installed; concrete curb for poured-in-place rubber is scheduled to begin later this month. Outdoor work is scheduled to be completed this summer.

(March 2023) Interior construction completed this month; new furniture scheduled to arrive in May, and exterior work will be completed this summer.

(December 2022) Grant work updates are underway. Outdoor playground equipment is being ordered as soon as possible to avoid any price hikes. Indoor play area furniture is in the phase of finalizing selection of colors and equipment, and this furniture should arrive in the summer. All classrooms have received new flooring and paint. Installation of lighting is complete with the exception of three rooms. Millwork should be completed over winter break. Restroom accessories are going in right now. Exterior work will be completed in the summer of 2023, and the school is on schedule to be completed in the fall in time for school.

(November 2022) Outdoor gathering space and learning area are nearing final design and pricing. ADA-focused playground equipment should be ordered in the next couple of weeks. Indoor play area's furniture order is ready to be released. All classrooms have received new flooring and paint and are waiting for millwork to arrive. Restrooms are being tiled, installation of lights and plumbing fixtures will occur in the coming weeks. Interior completion is scheduled for spring of 2023; exterior work is scheduled for summer 2023 completion.

(October 2022) Good news! We have been successul in receiving 3 grants totaling about $660,000! It will fund: outdoor gathering space and learning area; ADA-focused playground equipmet; and indoor play area furniture. Exterior demolition is complete; inside paint, plumbing, flooring, and restroom upgrades are underway and scheduled for spring 2023 completion. Grant work will push final completion of both interior and exterior construction to the summer 2023.

(August 2022) Phase II of construction to transform Highland into a ECE center is underway! Temporary walls are in place to separate active school zones from construction. The northeast playground will be accessible to students and staff. $500K in grants have been secured for playground and outdoor spaces! Construction is scheduled to be completed in January 2023, and students and staff from The Village at North will move to The Village at Highland in the fall of 2023.

(June 2022) Modular units are disconnected and haul-away begins mid-June. Construction is scheduled for completion in January 2023. Over $1 million in grant applications have been submitted for added play equipment and outdoor learning spaces.

(April 2022) Reviews/page-turn with Operations and Maintenance took place in early April. First DAG meeting for classroom furniture is upcoming. Abatement and demolition pricing is underway, and abatement is expected to be completed during the summer of 2022. The project is scheduled for completion in January 2023.

(March 2022) In the process of applying for outdoor learning environment grants in conjunction with the LPS Foundation. Furniture, fixtures, and equipment design is underway, and inventory of current furniture at both Village sites has been completed. Coordination in process for removal of modular classrooms this summer. Project is scheduled for completion in January 2023.

(February 2022) Design documents have been finalized and the contractor is working on pricing. Design Advisory Group will be picking finishes and colors on interior products. An abatement plan for June is in the works; abatement will be completed before the start of school in the fall of 2022.

(January 2022) The plan is underway for abatement over the summer of 2022 as the first phase of construction. Design Advisory Group for furniture, fixtures, and equipment will likely begin in February.

(December 2021) Design (DD) is scheduled to be delivered in January, will include restroom changes. Furniture, fixtures, and equipment design advisory group will be scheduled once the DD has been received.

(November 2021) Added restroom scope, which will impact the design timeline. There is ongoing work with the congractor on the phasing schedule for the construction.

(October 2021) Phase II design meeting took place in late September where the design schedul and project milestones were reviewed. The on-site portable will be removed after the 2021–2022 school year.

Preliminary Drawings/Concept for Early Childhood Education Center

     

(click images to expand)