Facilities Planning
Background Information
Background
Substantial needs have been identified at all schools within Brentwood School District (BSD)- Mark Twain (MT) and McGrath (MG) Elementary, Brentwood Middle School (BMS), and Brentwood High School (BHS).
Beginning in 2013, the District began a process to address these needs, but was halted due to financial constraints. In 2016, the process was re-started with a facilities committee consisting of 39 district stakeholders including BSD parents, staff, private school parents, and community members. This group comprehensively evaluated multiple iterations of the plans over a 1+ year period. Due to bonding capacity and significant needs, the decision was made to pursue facilities renewal in two phases: The first phase would address BMS and BHS, and the second phase would address the elementary schools.
In April 2018, Proposition B proposed a no tax increase bond for new construction and renovation at BMS and BHS and passed with 89% approval rate. Phase I of facilities renewal is now ongoing and expected to be completed by summer 2021. A Phase II committee composed of parents, staff, and community members has been meeting throughout 2019 to continue the process to address building needs.
In 2020, Proposition E proposed a modest tax increase to address construction needs at Mark Twain and McGrath Elementary Schools as well as the desire to incorporate the Early Childhood Building into one of the elementary schools. Proposition E passed in June 2020, paving the way for a sustained focus on facilities for the district.
Phase I - Middle & High School
Phase II - Elementary & Early Childhood
In June 2020, the community passed Prop E, a modest tax increase to rebuild McGrath with space for Early Childhood and renovate Mark Twain.
In July 2020, the district established an Elementary Facilities Design Committee to provide feedback and guidance on the overall design of Prop E construction. Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, this committee met with staff and other stakeholders to discuss the process.
On February 16th, the district’s architects, HTK, presented preliminary building designs based on the committee work. In March, the district, HTK, and the owner's representative (Navigate Building Solutions) offered several opportunities for the community to learn more and provide feedback on building designs and elementary facilities committee work. Future open houses, town hall meetings, and other community events will be posted to this page.
Timeline Overview
Phase 1: McGrath/BECC
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6-Month Design Work Completed: 6/9/2021
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Early Sitework Package Bidding: April 2021
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Project Bidding: June/July 2021
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Construction Completed: January 2023
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Fall 2023 - McGrath students attend school in new building; Mark Twain students begin their year at the old McGrath building
Phase 2: Mark Twain Elementary
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Concept Design: January – March 2021
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Design Hold: April – July 2021 (Timeline may be adjusted to September based on progress at McGrath site.
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Complete Design: Summer 2022 (November 2022)
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Project Bidding: Aug / Sept 2022 (December 2022)
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Fall 2023: Mark Twain students begin their year at the old McGrath building
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Construction Completed: January 2024
Phase II Facilities Update - March 2021
Phase II FAQ
- Why is McGrath construction taking place before Mark Twain?
- What are the security features of the new McGrath/BECC?
- What will parking and traffic be like?
- Will there be enough construction parking?
- Submit a Question
Why is McGrath construction taking place before Mark Twain?
In working through the design process, the elementary facilities committee composed of parents, staff, and community members recommended a phased approach to the elementary facilities in order to limit student exposure to construction work.
As such, work will be completed on the McGrath site first where the new construction will go up next to the existing McGrath structure, keeping students separated from the work. Mark Twain students will then spend a year at the old McGrath site while work is completed at Mark Twain, ensuring students are separated from construction and the classroom disruptions that it may cause.
After a year, Mark Twain students will return to their newly renovated building and the old McGrath will be demolished to make room for the remaining landscaping and sitework on the McGrath campus.
In addition, we learned from the Middle/High School project what to expect in terms of disruptions during large scale construction. This approach will allow us to do more work at Mark Twain for the same amount of money and will offer fewer disruptions to student learning.
Phased Approach Benefits
Safety: Students and staff will not have to inhabit a live construction site while the renovations take place. While every precaution is taken when construction happens, it is much easier when students are completely removed from the areas construction is taking place.
Learning: Students learn best when they are in an environment free from distractions. By allowing the Mark Twain students to occupy the current McGrath building, we are able to maintain small class sizes while making the necessary upgrades to Mark Twain.
Efficiency: In allowing the construction team full access to the Mark Twain building, we can help ensure the project moves forward in a timely manner. Additionally, without having to creatively schedule around student learning, the district will be able to do more renovation of the Mark Twain site at the same cost as it would if students were occupying the building during construction.
What are the security features of the new McGrath/BECC?
The new McGrath/BECC building will feature many new safety features. Visitor management will be handled by a secure vestibule. Visitors will need to be buzzed through two sets of doors in order to enter the building and many visitor tasks can be completed within the vestibule without stepping inside. Additionally, visitor management software will scan the Driver's License of visitors and complete a background check before printing a temporary ID badge. Interior doors will also be able to close portions of the building off so that the community can utilize spaces like the gym or cafeteria without interacting with classroom spaces.
In addition to keeping students and staff safe from outside visitors, the building's gym will be an ICC-500 rated storm shelter capable of withstanding an F-5 tornado. The space will be able to accommodate all of the building's students and staff as well as potential community members.
What will parking and traffic be like?
As part of the project, the new McGrath site will have increased parking capacity. Additionally, when the site is completely finished (end of Phase II), traffic for pick-up and drop-off will flow through the campus, preventing backup on St. Clair Ave and Litzsinger Rd. Cars will enter one-way into the campus from St. Clair and will be able to cue up to the building for drop-off/pick-up. Approximately 80 cars will be able to fit within the campus, alleviating traffic strain on community roads. Cars will then exit onto High School Drive.
When Mark Twain, McGrath, and BECC students are all on the same campus during Mark Twain construction, additional traffic measures will be in place to help alleviate traffic. This includes staggered start/end times so that each building's traffic is entering/exiting the campus separately.
The district completed a traffic study to understand the needs of the community and will be looking into further measures to help improve traffic around the McGrath campus.
Will there be enough construction parking?
Unlike the Middle/High School project, there will be ample parking for construction workers on the McGrath campus. The site will be organized to provide ample parking within the campus itself. Additionally, the district parking spaces along High School Drive will be reserved for construction parking, limiting the need for workers to park on streets in the community.
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Presentations & Handouts
Neighborhood Meeting Presentation (PDF)
