On May 13th, the voters approved a construction and remodeling project that would result in a one-building, PreK-12 school campus. The election was the first step in the building project, which was followed by the step that we are presently in, the design process.
In early June, the design process began with a committee composed of community members, school personnel, and members of the school board refined the scope and needs of the school district, while staying within the parameters of the project concept which was approved by the voters of ISD 505. The district design committee met throughout the summer and worked with Michael DeVetter and Architects from the DeVetter Design Group, along with the staff from inBYLT, our building engineering/consultant firm.
Since early September, the DeVetter Design Group, along with the staff from inBYLT have been meeting with some of our Teacher/Staff groups on the design of their learning/work areas. The goal is to have the design process complete by the first week in November.
On October 13th, the first visible signs of work on the project were observed as soil sampling and boring began. The soil sampling will be used to evaluate the condition of the underlying soil and the impact it will have on the building foundation and drainage needs. The results from the design process, along with the soil sampling results, will give greater clarity to the potential or estimated cost of the project. Staff from DeVetter Design and inBYLT are currently working through the regulations/requirements/codes process concerning the new construction and remodeling work, and making sure the project meets all codes and requirements.
Another item we would like to share is that the District awarded the first of two sets of bonds on August 11th. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, was the winning bidder of bonds valued at 14.01 million dollars. The interest rate was a very favorable 3.56%. The bidding process was very competitive, with eight firms bidding for our bonds. The second set of bonds will be sold mid-year 2026.
As of now, the timeline for the building project will have the project bids going out in late January or early February of 2026, with construction slated to begin on or before June 1st.
We are thankful to the voters of the Fulda Public School District for their support of this building project and we look forward to sharing updates with you as the project progresses.