RUSD Board OKs additional $7M to expand Olympia Brown

That authorization brings the maximum authorized cost to renovate Olympia Brown to $24 million.

The building is scheduled to expand from an elementary school to a K-8 school by August 2025.

In December 2022, the RUSD Board authorized up to $17 million to expand Olympia Brown and have two classrooms in each grade for sixth through eighth grades.

The school expansion will now include three classrooms in each grade for sixth through eighth grades for a continuous 4K-8, according to Peter Reynolds, RUSD chief operations officer. The building will also have an additional gymnasium, cafeteria and expanded kitchen space, which is why the additional $7 million is required.

Red Apple maximum price

The School Board approved a guaranteed maximum price of $35.37 million for construction of a new Red Apple STEAM K-8 School.

Red Apple is scheduled to expand into a K-8 school at a new location, 1012 Center St., and open in August 2025. The current Red Apple school at 914 St. Patrick St. is scheduled to close in June 2025.

Mitchell early bid package

The board approved an early bid package worth $303,304 for construction at Mitchell K-8 School.

Materials in the early bid package include “major HVAC equipment and the furnishing of major electrical equipment,” according to a board fact sheet.

Those materials take a significant amount of time to arrive after being ordered. They are being considered early so the project can remain on schedule.

The rest of the Mitchell construction budget will be considered in April, according to a board fact sheet.

Last year, the RUSD Board allocated up to $40 million to expand and renovate Mitchell. Work at the school is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed by August 2025.

Superintendent profile report

The School Board approved a superintendent leadership profile report from Hazard, Young Attea & Associates.

The report includes feedback from about 20 focus groups regarding traits they hope to see in the next permanent RUSD superintendent, according to Mike Richie of HYA.

Richie said in the Feb. 5 work session that more than 240 people were in the focus groups and about 50 people provided input via email. He said individual interviews also were conducted with all nine board members.

Soren Gajewski became RUSD acting superintendent in May 2023 and interim superintendent in July 2023.

Gajewski told The Journal Times he plans to apply for the permanent superintendent role “with great enthusiasm.”

The deadline to apply for the superintendent opening is Friday, Feb. 23.

During a focus group in January, Richie said the School Board likely will select six to eight applicants to interview and narrow those to three finalists.

The RUSD Board plans to begin interviewing candidates in early March, host finalists for a day at the district in mid-March and conduct final interviews in late March.

The board plans to select a permanent superintendent in mid-April. That person will start work July 1.