Secondary Campus Improvement Plan

Q: What is the proposed Secondary Campus Improvement Plan?

A: Work on the Secondary Campus includes:

• Middle School - Cafeteria and performing arts/music additions, additional office space, FCS room modifications, staff restroom modifications, new entrance east side of building, new roof. 

• High School - Performing arts/music wing addition/renovation, gym addition, move district central administration offices to high school building, auditorium renovation, high school main office renovation, partial roof replacement, HVAC systems replacement, locker rooms additions/renovations, athletic wing additions/renovation. 

• Removal of district central administration office building. 

• Develop district owned property on the north side of Cadmus road. Add varsity and JV baseball fields, throwing events, secondary running track, 2 multi-purpose fields, fitness court, walking paths. 

• Convert the current varsity baseball field to parking. Renovate and modify location of varsity and JV softball fields. 

• Add additional driveway onto campus from rt. 23 and Cadmus road. 

• Create a new bus lot between HS and MS. 

• Create new parking lot to east side of middle school. 

 

Q: Has construction for the Secondary Campus Improvement Plan started?

A: High School office renovations have started and are to be completed Aug/Sept 2026, while Middle School additional office space, FCS room modifications, staff restroom modifications have started and are expected to be completed Aug/Sept 2026.

 

Q: What is the proposed cost of the Secondary Campus Improvement Plan?

A: The total estimated cost of the Secondary Campus Improvement plan is $195 million, as of September 2026. This estimate includes all construction, studies, inspection and testing fees, easements, equipment and other costs. The estimated cost also includes approximately $50 million set aside for deferred maintenance.

 

Q: What is the timeline for the proposed secondary campus improvements?

A: The timeline is to-be-determined based on the approval of the Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors. 

OJR's proposed Secondary Campus Improvement Plan is organized into five phases in total - with Phase 1 including the renovation of the high school administration and the construction of a new student storefront entry, and interior renovations at the middle school.

The Board is expected to review the proposed plan for possible Phase 2 and Phase 3 approvals in the early fall of 2026. The proposed Phase 2 plan includes updating the middle school and high school supporting MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) infrastructure, including the mezzanine areas. The proposed Phase 3 plan includes replacing the middle school roof in 2027, with the high school replacement done in phases.

Pending approval by school directors, work would begin by spring/summer 2027.

Looking further out, Phase 4 will focus on site development, including infrastructure in the North Cadmus area of the secondary campus, followed by athletic field installation and high school campus parking construction.

Finally, Phase 5 includes new additions to the gymnasium, administrative and athletic areas, as well as the high school performing arts facilities. This phase also involves construction and improvements to parking lots across both the high school and middle school campuses, along with the demolition of the existing administration building. Additionally, renovations will be completed in the middle school and high school performing arts spaces, as well as the middle cafeteria expansion. 

The targeted completion of work on the secondary campus is early-2031.

 

Q: What type of research and planning has gone into this proposal?

A: As part of planning and development process, over a multi-year period of time, we have sought the professional expertise of architecture firms in the commonwealth to conduct a facilities feasibility study and develop a Long-Term Facilities Plan. OJR worked with SCHRADERGROUP, an architectural and engineering design firm specializing in the planning and design of places for K-12, to develop a Long-Term Facilities Plan (10-year look ahead), with updated cost estimates, and that takes into account facility needs, educational programming, community input and essential considerations such as traffic patterns. These studies and the research to support OJR's plans are available on www.ojrsd.com, under the Our District portal.

 

Q: What type of feedback has the district solicited from the community? 

A: In addition to extensive research, we have collaborated with members of the Owen J. Roberts school community as part of our Long-Term Facilities Plan Steering Committee to collect their feedback and ideas, and also sought additional feedback from the community-at-large via multiple district-hosted open houses, and met with owners of neighboring properties around the secondary campus. The proposed plan was developed over a period of several months and was initially presented to the public in September 2023, and again in 2024 and 2025, with additional community input and feedback received during Finance/Building & Grounds Committee meetings of the School Board, including community forums such as the District’s Town Hall events. During the development process, the community has viewed site designs and revisions drafted by SCHRADERGROUP. All of the concepts presented were preliminary in nature, and the community had opportunities to ask questions, make suggestions, and learn more about the considerations that influence the planning process. Attendees also heard directly from the engineers and architects on plans designed to benefit students and our Wildcat Community, as well as provide feedback and gain an understanding of next steps.

 

Q: What are the next steps for the proposal?

A: Next steps include completing the design/engineering and regulatory approvals, finalizing procurement methods/packages (phases), School Board approval to bid project(s), and School Board approval of bids.

 

Q: When would work begin on the project?

A: The timeline is to-be-determined based on the approval of the Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors. Pending approval, the plan is to start a significant portion of the work by spring/summer 2027.

 

Q: When will work be completed?

A: The projection's completion timeline is dependent on the approval process and working through many of the next steps listed above. It is anticipated the project will require five construction phases, and take place over a period of several years. The current goal is to have work completed on all five phases by early-2031. Further information will be made available, should the School Board approve the plans.

 

Q: How can I provide feedback on the proposal?

A: There are two primary options to contact the board:

• The first option is to email the board directly at schoolboardmembers@ojrsd.net. 
  • All Board members will receive and read your email. However, please note, that you will most likely only hear back from the School Board President, who responds to all correspondence on behalf of the entire board. 
  • The Board will attempt to answer all questions, however may be limited in their ability to speak about Personnel or Legal matters.
  • The Board President may also refer you to the Administrator who is best suited to answer your question.
  • All emails are replied to within approximately 24 hours of receipt.  Should you not receive a reply within 24 hours, it may be to misdirected email (spam folders). Please try again, then reach out to district administration if you still have not received a reply.

• The second option is to attend a regular School Board Meeting and speak at the Public Comment section. There are two public comment sections, one at the beginning of the meeting for comment only on specific agenda items and the second towards the end of the meeting for general comments.
  • If you choose to make public comment at a meeting, you will be asked to sign in before speaking, then state your name, township of residence, and topic when it is your turn. Please understand that public comment may be limited to 3 minutes per presenter.
  • The Board will attempt to answer questions but if answers are not readily available, they may follow up with individuals or present answers at the following meeting.