Submitted graphic The Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) School Board looked at the new school site master plan project update Sept. 5. The school project is estimated to be completed in late 2025.

GIBBON — Following a brief regular board meeting, the Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) School Board discussed PreK-12 site and building project design with architects from two Twin Cities firms Sept. 5.

“We’ve worked with our site team, other groups and received school project feedback from hundreds of people at meetings regarding what our school will look like,” said GFW Superintendent Dr. Jeff Horton. “It’s still very much a draft. It’s a big process to deliver our design on time and on budget, which is where our architects say we are.”

Project manager Maria Kennedy of Wold Architects & Engineers of St. Paul said project next steps include soil boring planned for Oct. 23, 2023 at the 75.5 acre school site just north of State Highway 19 on the east edge of Gibbon.

Bid packages for the $78.1 million school project as of Sept. 5, 2023 are planned to be handled in January and February 2024. Site clearing and grading is scheduled for April or May, 2024.

Building construction is planned for May through August 2025. Performing arts center construction is planned for September to December 2025. School completion is forecast for late 2025.

Project plans include a new football stadium and track, practice football field, three baseball and softball fields, intentional snow buffers, school agriculture plot, bike/walking trail, filtration pond, drainage ditch on the south edge of the property, parking lots of buses and visitors, staff and students and a snow storage area.

Board chairman Dan Merkel had drainage concerns with the project site. Architects said a drainage ditch is part of the project.

Supt. Horton said the project includes $69.9 million in public bonding, $4.5 million in interest earnings, $3.1 million in contingency costs and $1.47 million in land acquisition for a $65.3 million total cost.

“We got a better windfall (interest income) than we thought, which is exciting,” Horton said.

Project guiding principles include using natural daylight as often as possible, clear signage, a secure entry, meeting spaces for school and community use, career technical and business centers.

The two-story school include classrooms and nearby flexible learning areas with more comfortable seating for smaller groups.

“We need flexibility for future needs. I can program the new school to handle up to 300 more students without building more space,” said Horton.

Kennedy said the history of Gibbon, Fairfax and Winthrop can be used to create a school building design them to reflect railroads and agriculture.

Other plans include purchasing equipment including a chiller, transformer and switchboards about a year early to stay ahead of the project construction schedule.

Architects from Wold and Kraus Anderson Construction of Minneapolis will present more project plans at the Monday, Sept. 18, 2023 school board meeting.

For the past few years, GFW students have been attending school in Gibbon and Winthrop after the school board decided to close the Fairfax school to reduce expenses.

Before the work session, the board unanimously approved reducing specialty music instrument rental fees.

Action to cut annual middle school specialty instrumental rental from $200 to $150 and high school specialty instrument rental from $250 to $175 came on a motion by board member Dan Merkel of Fairfax, seconded by Emilee Stehr of Gibbon.

The school district offers free activity admission to K-12 GFW students, anyone Prek and younger and anyone age 55 and older.

In addition, elementary breakfast and first middle and high school lunches are free this school year.