What’s going on at Capital High? Boise School District works on summer upgrades
The Boise School District is working on a number of facilities projects this summer, including parking lot construction and HVAC upgrades at several of its schools.
Many of the projects are already underway and are expected to be completed before the start of next school year.
The district conducts ongoing facilities assessments, but earlier this year, it began a facilities master planning process, looking at the “condition, capacity, educational adequacy, and future needs of all district facilities,” spokesperson Dan Hollar told the Idaho Statesman in an email. Although many of these summer projects were identified before that process began, Hollar said they underscore the need for a master plan that involves the community and prioritizes current and future needs.
“The effort includes a review of enrollment and demographic trends, facility conditions, educational programming needs, and funding strategies, and will ultimately guide facility investments and capital improvement priorities for the next 10 to 15 years,” he said in an email. “This public process is intended to create a comprehensive vision for our future facilities portfolio while helping identify and prioritize future maintenance, modernization, and construction needs.”
The district has invested significant amounts of money into its facilities in recent decades, Hollar said, citing a $172.5 million bond voters approved in 2017. But it continues to “manage a large and aging facilities portfolio.”
What projects are in progress?
At Capital High School, the district is redoing the parking lot, including a “redesigned traffic flow system.” The new lot will have a separate bus loop, designated parent drop-off and more streamlined entry and exit points. There will also be a new courtyard area. The softball field is being relocated, and the front of the building is temporarily closed while the construction continues. The front parking lot should be done by the start of the school year, the district said.
Other projects at Capital High include a boiler replacement, which involves asbestos abatement and demolishing the old boiler, and installing new bleachers in its auxiliary gym.
The district services campus will also have a new parking lot, which will provide a dedicated bus loop and separated parent drop-off area. That project is expected to be completed by Aug. 14.
Hidden Springs Elementary is getting an HVAC upgrade, and West Junior High is expected to have a new parking lot completed by mid-August. The district is also continuing to work on the Lincoln Early Learning Center. This summer, it will complete window replacements and asbestos abatement.
A number of smaller projects are also happening this summer, such as generator replacements, bleacher replacements and installation of fire alarm systems at other schools.
