New elementary school moving to next phase

 South Bend's new elementary school moving a step closer

North facing view of new South Bend elementary school

South Bend's new elementary school project moved to the next phase today as school officials and architects submitted plans to South Bend City Supervisor Dennis Houk for building permit review.  The city will work with an outside consultant to review the plans, a process expected to take four weeks.  South Bend School District plans to bid the project in March, 2019.


Getting to the drawing board

City and school officials reviewing design plans

Initial work began almost two years ago when we were (at the time) working to secure substantial funding through the state capital budget.  Passage of the capital budget was ultimately delayed until after January, 2018, and the district received a special appropriation of just under $8-million dollars.  With state match and the passage of a $4.95-million dollar bond initiative last April, the district has an approximate $16-million dollar budget.



After passing our bond last April, the district hired Tacoma-based Erickson McGovern Architects (EMA) to design the new school.  Work began almost immediately in hiring several consultant firms to conduct site studies, including: geotechnical, hazardous materials, topographical survey and utility location, and civil engineering.  In addition, work with building staff began and was completed in June to determine the educational specifications of the new school program.  Initial work with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) began in July to establish timelines and processes with respect to our unique funding.  Along with the successful sale of bonds in early August, everything needed to begin building design was completed by September.

Rear view of new SB elementary school

Detailed Process

Having the site studies completed by late summer (2018), we began building design.  This phase of the project took almost five months, as all aspects of the project moved through several rounds of specifications, engineering, cost estimating, reductions, and additional value engineering. 

I have been amazed at the amount of planning and analysis our design team at EMA has conducted in conjunction with the project engineers and consultants.  Everything from kitchen design, lighting, security, HVAC, and all systems in between, it has been a long and arduous process getting to this point.  I am very pleased with the work of the design team and feel we will have a building that will support a quality, safe learning environment for our students and staff.  In the end, our goal is to build a functional school our community will be proud of for years to come.

What next?

As soon as the city approves the plans and issues permits, we will put the project out to bid in March.  We are already receiving inquiries from several general contractors, and we hope to have a competitive bidding environment.  As soon as we have a successful bid outcome, we will proceed with the project and accepted alternates--planning to break ground in April.  The project is estimated to take 12-14 months to complete.  This is an exciting time for all of us in South Bend, it will be fun to see construction crews arrive later this spring!

Questions about the project can be directed to superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org